《Transmigrated as A Farm Girl Making Her Family Rich》


 Chapter 1 - Chapter 1: Chapter 1 Wild Chicken Eggs

    Chapter 1: Chapter 1 Wild Chicken Eggs


    Mrs. Li, bending her heavy body to cut grass, saw a nest of wild chicken eggs not far away and walked carefully up the slope with excitement in her eyes. Her clumsy movements were due to her nine months of pregnancy, and with the due time to deliver looming, the household couldn¡¯t be without firewood for cooking while she¡¯d be confined for the postpartum month.


    This had been ordered by her mother-in-law, who she still remembered had gone to help care for the children at the house of another woman in the village early that morning, because that woman had given birth to a son.


    ¡°You who only give birth to money-losing goods, what makes you so precious? Without firewood at home, you must go and cut it twice a day.¡±


    Mrs. Li could only obediently go to the mountain to cut grass, even as she was about to go into labor.


    While cutting grass, she discovered wild chicken eggs in the thicket. Seeing the eggs, she thought of her four feeble and thin children at home. She reached out to pick up the wild eggs and passed by a place where there was a wasp¡¯s nest, ¡°buzzing buzzing buzzing¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Mrs. Li reflexively used the straw hat on her head to fan away the wasps. Her actions were slow, not as quick as those tiny insects, and she was stung on her face and hands.


    Stung, yet she still carefully placed the wild chicken eggs into a cloth bag and removed the wasps¡¯ nest that was buzzing around her, slowly making her way down the hillside.


    She felt a burning pain on her face and hands, and the wasps continued to pursue and sting her.


    Only then did Mrs. Li lie down in the wild grass to rest as the wasps gradually flew away.


    She felt intense pain and burning on her face and her hands were swollen and unresponsive. Looking up to the sky, through her swollen eyes she blurrily saw the sun rising halfway up, and she tied up two large bundles of grass, shouldering the seventy to eighty pounds of firewood with a carrying pole.


    Walking unevenly down the mountain, one step high, one step low, she walked a mile back to the village, where she encountered an elderly woman coming out of the vegetable field.


    This elderly woman, with her dim vision, saw Mrs. Li: ¡°Hongji¡¯s wife, you have to be careful with such a big belly! It¡¯s really something with Hongji, him being a woodworker having wooden scraps. Why does he still have you, with such a big belly, going up the mountain to cut grass? What if you fall?¡±


    Every day Mrs. Li heard the villagers express such sympathetic words and her heart agreed with them, but she was accustomed to being timorous, and also had given birth to several daughters. With her husband¡¯s family having only one male heir for two generations, if she failed to give birth to a male child in her generation¡­


    ¡°Third Granny, I¡¯m okay¡­¡±


    ¡°My goodness, what happened to your face? And your hands too.¡± Third Granny approached and saw Mrs. Li¡¯s face swollen like a pig¡¯s head and her exposed hands grotesquely swollen.


    ¡°Third Granny, I¡¯m fine, I was just stung by a wasp a moment ago.¡±


    ¡°Hongji¡¯s wife, you must be careful! They are all poisonous, I don¡¯t know if it will affect the baby.¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡± Mrs. Li became frightened and alarmed upon hearing Third Granny¡¯s words.


    ¡°Did you remove the wasp¡¯s larvae? Taking those out can cure the poisoning.¡±


    ¡°I did, I¡¯ll go home and cook them now.¡±


    Mrs. Li¡¯s wooden hairpin had shifted and some of her hair had fallen in disarray, drops of sweat dripped down her swollen face, yet she continued walking unsteadily, one foot high, one foot low.


    ¡°Pig¡¯s head¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s throw stones at the pig¡¯s head¡­¡±


    Some naughty children playing by the roadside picked up stones to throw at Mrs. Li. The stones weren¡¯t very large, Mrs. Li shielded her belly and did not scold the children.


    ¡°Mom, don¡¯t throw stones at my mom¡­¡± Eight-year-old Daya, carrying a bamboo basket and a one-year-old girl on her back, pulling along a three-year-old girl by the hand, was followed by a five-year-old girl also carrying a small bamboo basket. They were going to cut pigweed.


    ¡°Daya, don¡¯t come here, the stones can really hurt.¡± Mrs. Li¡¯s motherly instinct, all four daughters present and accounted for.


    ¡°You¡¯re all meanies¡­don¡¯t hit my mom¡­¡± Daya cried and shouted at those kids, trying to help her mom dodge the stones thrown by the naughty children.


    ¡°Wow! It¡¯s the mom who gives birth to the money-losing kids. Today she¡¯s turned into a pig¡¯s head, haha¡­¡±


    A kid with a runny nose and many patches on his clothes, with sleeves and trousers obviously too short and ill-fitting, mocked.


    The other naughty children also laughed uproariously.


    ¡°Gou Dan, you¡¯re being naughty again.¡± A strong man carrying firewood from the mountain scolded the children.


    The gang of naughty children ran away.


    Daya cried and said to Mrs. Li, ¡°Mom, does it hurt?¡±


    ¡°Wuu wuu wuu, Mom¡­¡±


    The baby on Daya¡¯s back, and the other two sisters, started crying as well.


    ¡°Mom is fine, let¡¯s go home first.¡±


    After the ordeal she had just been through, Mrs. Li felt a heaviness in her abdomen.


    ¡°Cry cry cry, good for nothing, get home and cook already.¡± Mother-in-law Mrs. Lai, while taking care of her eldest daughter¡¯s baby, scolded her as the daughter returned from laboring in the fields, urging her to go home to eat. She felt annoyed hearing the cries of her daughter and granddaughters from a distance.


    ¡°Mrs. Lai, your daughter-in-law¡¯s belly is so big, and you won¡¯t even fetch some firewood. Hongji¡¯s wife, what happened to your face? It¡¯s all swollen like that. Come on, let me help you.¡±


    Granny Li from the neighboring house, holding a basket of vegetables in her hand, felt sympathy for Mrs. Li, as they were one of the few neighbors around.


    ¡°Pah, you Mrs. Li, isn¡¯t it a daughter-in-law¡¯s duty to work? What business is it of yours? Who asked you to play the good Samaritan?¡±


    With narrowed eyes, Mrs. Lai stomped on the ground and spat out a wad of saliva. She noticed the cloth pouch in Mrs. Li¡¯s hand, her eyes darted, and quickly snatched the pouch before hurrying home.


    ¡°Mother-in-law¡­¡±


    Mrs. Li, on the verge of tears, felt the loss of the pouch containing the wild chicken eggs and wasp larvae, which she had picked at great risk.


    ¡°Hongji¡¯s house, don¡¯t panic¡­ just go home first.¡±


    Granny Li took Mrs. Li¡¯s carrying pole, holding her basket of vegetables too, unaware of why Mrs. Li valued that cloth pouch so much.


    Mrs. Li, paying no attention to her abdomen that seemed ready to drop, hurriedly walked a few steps to catch up with Mrs. Lai.


    ¡°Mom, walk slower.¡±


    Mrs. Lai had already entered a courtyard with a mud-brick house that had just three rooms and a kitchen. On the other side of the courtyard was a thatched shed where a father and son were making furniture.


    As she pushed the door and entered, the father and son making furniture looked up briefly before continuing with their work.


    Two girls, aged thirteen and fifteen, emerged from one of the rooms in the house. They were Mrs. Lai¡¯s daughters; the fifteen-year-old was already betrothed and preparing her dowry for marriage, while the other stayed at home.


    ¡°Mom, what goodies have you brought us? We¡¯re hungry.¡±


    Flanked by her two daughters, who each held one of her arms, Mrs. Lai reluctantly opened the pouch.


    ¡°Wow, wild chicken eggs.¡±


    ¡°There are wasp larvae too, Mom, I want them stir-fried,¡± one of the daughters said.


    The sisters, their mouths watering at the thought, took the cloth pouch and followed Mrs. Lai back inside the room.


    Mrs. Li walked in just in time to see the two young sisters-in-law as Mother-in-law Mrs. Lai hid the pouch away.


    Mrs. Li¡¯s tears swirled in her barely open eyes as her legs froze in place.


    ¡°Mom¡­¡± Daya came in with her younger sister, placed the pig-vegetable basket on the ground, and supported their mother, clearing a path.


    The father and son making furniture looked up briefly at them before resuming their work.


    Granny Li brought the firewood inside and, seeing the indifferent father and son, gently placed the firewood in the courtyard and reproachfully addressed the two, saying:


    ¡°Uncle, Hongji¡­¡±


    Hearing the voice of the neighbor lady, the father and son looked up again, the father halting his carpentry work.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, your son and daughter-in-law, how could they let you help with the firewood?¡±


    Hongji noticed his wife¡¯s swollen cheek and quickly came over, asking, ¡°Wife, what happened to you?¡±

 Chapter 2 - Chapter 2: Chapter 2 was Born

    Chapter 2: Chapter 2 was Born


    Mrs. Li stood woodenly, covering her face.


    ¡°Father, mother must have been stung by a wasp sting while cutting the grass,¡± Daya said, feeling sorry for her mother.


    Hongji¡¯s father glared at his daughter-in-law and then scolded Daya with a stern face, ¡°What kind of behavior is this, you girl, making such a fuss?¡±


    ¡°Hongji, help your wife inside to sit down, it looks like she¡¯s about to give birth,¡± Granny Li had intended to persuade the father and son, but her experienced eyes first noticed something wrong with Mrs. Li.


    Mrs. Li felt a sinking pain in her abdomen, as if something was about to flow out from under her rough skirt, and she moaned softly.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Just as Mrs. Lai had put away the bag and was looking through the crack by the window at the courtyard, she saw Mrs. Li finding excuses not to cook, which was unacceptable.


    With her plump body standing at the doorway, Mrs. Lai glared fiercely and shouted, ¡°Mrs. Li, aren¡¯t you cooking yet? Or do you want me, your Mother-in-law, to take care of you? Always giving birth to burdensome children.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Lai, your daughter-in-law is about to give birth, and yet you sit there expecting her to cook for you?¡± Granny Li reprimanded angrily. Isn¡¯t every daughter-in-law born of a woman?


    ¡°What does it have to do with you? If you want to interfere, you might as well come over and cook,¡± Mrs. Lai said with indifference.


    Her two daughters stealthily peeked out from the room, accustomed to their family¡¯s treatment of their elder sister. They never considered helping her, approving of their mother¡¯s approach, as it excused them from household chores.


    ¡°Wuu wuu wuu,¡± Da Y took her sister off her back to go and help their mother.


    Granny Li breathed heavily in anger, then held back from bursting out and said to the wooden Hongji, ¡°What are you still doing standing there? Your wife is about to give birth. Go quickly and find the midwife.¡±


    ¡°Mmm mmm,¡± Hongji, hoping eagerly for a son from his wife, ran out the front door then turned back.


    ¡°Mother, give me some money¡­¡±


    Hongji and his father were carpenters, and all the money they ever earned was kept by his mother; this wealth never passed through the couple¡¯s hands.


    This filial son obeyed everything his parents said. With only a few Copper Coins on him, how could he afford to hire the midwife?


    ¡°Another burden-producing child, repeatedly costing money to give birth. This time, don¡¯t hire a midwife; let her give birth by herself at home,¡± said Mrs. Lai with such venomous words.


    All Granny Li could do was sigh. Although she had the desire to help, she lacked the ability to do so.


    She could only pick up her vegetable basket and head back to her own home.


    ¡°Hmph, always meddling, as if she¡¯s so kind-hearted.¡±


    Mrs. Lai, with the smug look of a victor, glared at Mrs. Li again, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to cook quickly?¡±


    ¡°Mother, my wife is in so much pain she has crouched down; I beg you, please give me money to hire the midwife!¡± Hongji knelt down in front of his mother.


    ¡°Hire what midwife? The money your father and you earn from carpentry is all spent on her, giving birth to burden-producing children.¡±


    ¡°Mother-in-law¡­¡± Mrs. Li knew giving birth was like passing through the gates of hell and wanted to plead for mercy, but pain left her speechless.


    ¡°Grandma, I beg you, please quickly hire the midwife for my mother,¡± Daya knelt down. The eight-year-old girl had watched her younger sisters being born, one after another; she had practically raised them herself.


    ¡°Insolent! Does a burden-producing wretch like you have a say?¡± Mrs. Lai pointed a finger at Daya, and her hefty leg kicked the frail girl, causing her to fall to the ground.


    ¡°Wuu wuu, don¡¯t hit my elder sister,¡± Daya¡¯s three little sisters cried around her.


    ¡°Crying, crying, cursing stars,¡± Mrs. Lai raised her hand to beat the four girls.


    Hongji, seeing his mother hitting his children, passively accepted it and saw his wife in pain collapsing on the ground. He scooped up his wife in a princess carry and took her back to their room.


    ¡°Hongji, don¡¯t do anything foolish. Giving birth is a woman¡¯s ordeal, don¡¯t go inside when there¡¯s blood involved,¡± said Hongji¡¯s father, who stamped his feet on the ground as he saw his son ignoring him.


    ¡°Hongji, listen to your father,¡± Mrs. Lai also called out from the doorway.


    Hongji carried his wife into the room and heeding his parents¡¯ advice, walked out to see that it was already noon. Smoke was rising from other houses as they prepared their meals, yet his family was still hoping Mrs. Li would cook.


    Hongji didn¡¯t understand much about childbirth except that he needed to boil some hot water.


    ¡°Daya, go into the room and look after your mother.¡±


    Daya, who was still sore from the kick from her grandmother, wiped her tears and obediently went into her parents¡¯ room, a room she shared with her three sisters, who followed her in to surround Mrs. Li laying on the bed.


    ¡°Mother, how are you?¡±


    ¡°Water,¡± Mrs. Li was very hungry and thirsty, with no hope for a meal.


    ¡°Mother, there¡¯s only cold water.¡± Daya poured a cup of cold boiled water from the kettle and helped her mother drink.


    Hongji managed only to boil a pot of hot water, and while his parents wouldn¡¯t let him into the room, he could only call out to Daya at the room¡¯s doorway to bring in the hot water, keeping the other three girls with him as they waited outside.


    Mrs. Li¡¯s pain intensified during the childbirth. With the starvation and today¡¯s premature labor, she used all her strength, bearing the pain to deliver the baby, and cut the umbilical cord herself.


    Seeing her mother endure such pain during childbirth, Daya gently cleaned the newborn of blood and wrapped the baby in a piece of torn cloth.


    ¡°Daya, did your mother give birth to a brother?¡±


    Hongji called out from the doorway, his father and mother also stood there, and his two younger sisters from the neighboring room were also listening.


    No lunch had been cooked in the house and it was already well past noon.


    ¡°Dad, it¡¯s a sister.¡±


    ¡°What? A sister?¡±


    ¡°Another loss-making child? Son, divorce her and marry another wife, our family can¡¯t be without descendants,¡± Mrs. Lai lamented.


    ¡°Mother, I¡­¡± While his parents spoke, Hongji in agony cradled his head and crouched on the ground, burdened with years of gossip for only fathering daughters, facing immense pressure that weighed him down.


    ¡°Son, listen to me, drive out this loss-making woman and her children,¡± Mrs. Lai said, by no means ready to take care of her daughter-in-law in her confinement, but instead, wanting to evict the just-delivered mother and her daughters from their home.


    Mrs. Li, having just given birth, was weak and breathless. She had already seen the baby¡¯s gender while cutting the umbilical cord, and her heart sank in disappointment. Under her family¡¯s scorn, she expected some harsh words but hadn¡¯t imagined they would cruelly drive them out.


    Her bleeding intensified immediately after the stressful delivery, blood continuously flowing.


    Daya, holding the newborn in fear, thought having a brother might have eased their plight, faced yet again the harsh treatment of her mother, her young mind trembling.


    It was only when the smell of blood grew stronger and she saw her mother faint that she put the baby beside her mother and shook her: ¡°Mother, what¡¯s wrong? Please wake up.¡±


    Daya, terrified, couldn¡¯t wake her mother and seeing the continuous flow of blood, panickily pushed open the door and ran out.


    ¡°Dad, it¡¯s bad, Mother is losing a lot of blood.¡±


    Hearing his daughter¡¯s words, Hongji raised his head again, his heart skipping a beat at the sight of the fresh blood on his daughter¡¯s hands, and he knelt down to ask Mrs. Lai for help:


    ¡°Mother, give me money to call the doctor.¡±


    ¡°Childbirth is naturally bloody, what woman doesn¡¯t go through this? What doctor? Hmph, the household money is for your sister¡¯s dowry,¡± Mrs. Lai rolled her eyes dismissively, her stomach growling as she glared at Mrs. Li¡¯s room.

 Chapter 3 - Chapter 3: Chapter 3 Saving Mother

    Chapter 3: Chapter 3 Saving Mother


    In the inner room, the two Jinhua sisters who were eavesdropping heard Second Miss speak up to Mrs. Lai, ¡°Mother, you¡¯re right, we can¡¯t hire a doctor without money for my dowry.


    ¡°Yes, Mother, I¡¯m hungry. We should have some delicious¡­ wild chicken eggs,¡± Third Miss chimed in.


    Mrs. Lai twisted her plump body around, irritated, and shot another glare at Mrs. Li¡¯s room, ¡°Gave birth to a loss-making good-for-nothing, and now old mother has to cook herself.¡±


    Panicked after seeing her father not calling for the doctor, Daya rushed out of the courtyard. She needed to seek help from a neighbor, and the first person she thought of was Granny Li who had helped them earlier.


    Mrs. Li was fainting in the room, her pale face from childbirth slowly turning a faint shade of purple, her pulse growing weaker by the minute.


    Her face and hand, swollen from wasp stings, were gradually subsiding.


    The stench of blood in the room grew stronger, and the baby wrapped in a piece of torn cloth by her side was waving its hands and kicking its legs, as if sensing the danger its mother was in.


    The baby who hadn¡¯t cried since birth stared with round wide eyes, wanting to speak but only managing to make ¡°ah, ah¡± sounds.


    Tang Shiqi felt utterly cursed, just a moment ago she was enjoying the thrill of driving a luxury car when she unluckily crashed into the railing.


    The next moment, she woke up as a baby. Racking her small brain, she found the situation oddly familiar; despite never reading novels, she was influenced by her best friend, who claimed online fiction was enjoyable.


    She had opened up a novel reading app and inadvertently clicked on a story about farm life.


    The second and third chapters of the story described this very scene, where her mother dies from excessive bleeding during childbirth, and her father remarries a stepmother¡­


    The word ¡®stepmother¡¯ was repulsive to her. After her own mother¡¯s death, her wealthy father took a stepmother for her who spoke to her coldly every day, and brought along an elder sister as well. They were always at odds, with her father siding with his new wife and her daughter.


    No, she had to find a way to save her mother. Unable to walk or speak, and with the family being so poor, she couldn¡¯t just let her mother die.


    Suddenly, she remembered she had a space. In her past life, she was born into a wealthy family where her Spiritual Spring Space was treated as a swimming pool. She swam there in her free time and never used the space to make money.


    Thinking of the Spiritual Spring, Tang Shiqi struggled to flap her little hands, feeling them touch her mother¡¯s face. She summoned a few drops of Space Spiritual Spring from her fingertip, dripping them into her mother¡¯s mouth.


    With her tiny body, it felt like using the strength of nine bulls just to feed her mother a cup¡¯s worth of the Spiritual Spring.


    Tang Shiqi didn¡¯t see how, after she had fed her the Spiritual Spring, Mrs. Li¡¯s complexion shifted slowly from a pale purple back to a healthy rosy glow, and how her face and hands had no longer been swollen, no longer resembling a pig¡¯s head or feet.


    ¡­


    Anxious, Daya pushed open the gate of the neighbor¡¯s yard. She saw their family having a meal. With her stomach growling loudly, she couldn¡¯t help but salivate at the sight of the food on her neighbor¡¯s table.


    Granny Li¡¯s family had a plate of sweet potatoes, a plate of greens, a dish of salted fish, and they were each holding a bowl of millet porridge in their hands.


    Daya¡¯s arrival didn¡¯t prompt Granny Li¡¯s family to invite her to share their meal since they were also not well off.


    Holding back her hunger, Daya wiped away a tear and said to Granny Li, ¡°Granny Li, my mother has lost a lot of blood after giving birth to my younger sister.¡±


    ¡°This¡­ another girl was born¡­¡± whispered the people in Granny Li¡¯s household.


    ¡°Mother, don¡¯t get involved with their affairs,¡± Granny Li¡¯s daughter-in-law, who had always disliked Mrs. Li¡¯s timid nature, felt sympathy for her but also despised Mrs. Lai.


    ¡°Severe bleeding is a matter of life and death. We¡¯re neighbors; we should go check on them! This is a human life,¡± Granny Li had been feeling uneasy, believing she hadn¡¯t done enough to save the pitiful woman.


    Granny Li agreed to visit, and her husband told her to take a few eggs from their home to help nourish Mrs. Li.


    ¡°Thank you, Uncle and Auntie. There¡¯s no need to bring the eggs. Even if you did, my mother wouldn¡¯t be able to eat them.¡±


    In Daya¡¯s young heart, she hoped her mother could eat the eggs to regain her strength. Her mother kept giving birth to sisters, and all the eggs and chickens brought by relatives and friends, including her grandmother, never reached her mother¡¯s stomach¡ªDaya knew exactly whose belly they ended up in.


    ¡°Alright then! The important thing is to go and call the doctor.¡±


    Granny Li returned to her room to retrieve the money from the bottom of her chest, in Daya¡¯s anxious demeanor, she hurried next door.


    The heavy scent of blood was discernible even from the courtyard¡¯s wide-open gate.


    Hongji stood at the doorway of the room, his father still engrossed in woodworking, smoke billowing from the kitchen, with two young ladies peering out from the windows of their rooms.


    ¡°Hongji, your wife is bleeding profusely, you need to call a doctor,¡± someone uttered.


    ¡°Granny Li, I¡­ I don¡¯t have any money,¡± Hongji said, head hanging low, fists clenched.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, you better not meddle in our family affairs,¡± Hongji¡¯s father disdainfully glanced at the blood-scented room, irked by Granny Li¡¯s arrival.


    ¡°Foolish, all of you¡­ That¡¯s a human life, are you not afraid of facing a lawsuit?¡±


    Mrs. Lai emerged from the kitchen, her plump body hastening to the doorway, venomously pointing her finger at Granny Li as she spat, ¡°How dare you, Mrs. Li? Aren¡¯t there already enough people who have died in childbirth? Besides, it¡¯s just this one, who only gives birth to burdensome children¡ªbetter dead, sparing us her occupation of a place without contributing; I still hope for my son to father a boy to carry on the family line. You play the good Samaritan, but it¡¯s nothing but hot air. Why don¡¯t you go call the doctor?¡±


    ¡°You¡­ as a mother-in-law you should at least take a look inside, how could you let a child tend to the birthing woman?¡±


    ¡°Hmph, she only births burdensome children, and you expect me to look after her? In your dreams¡­¡±


    Daya ignored their squabbling, her mind fraught with concern as she rushed into the room ahead.


    After all, Daya was just an eight-year-old girl and could not see her mother¡¯s complexion had improved; thinking her mother, who was sound asleep without a sound, had passed away, she cried out shaking her, ¡°Mother, wake up¡­¡±


    By Mrs. Li¡¯s side lay the little baby. She had just fed her mother with the Spiritual Spring, and was a bit tired. The baby, just having fallen asleep, was awakened by Daya¡¯s commotion and wanted to tell her elder sister that their mother had not died, but the only sound that came out was, ¡°Ah, ah, ah.¡±


    Upon hearing Daya¡¯s cries, Granny Li, who was outside trying to reason with the family, hurried into the room that reeked of blood.


    ¡°Mrs. Li, if you go in and the person is dead, you will have to face a lawsuit,¡± Mrs. Lai shouted fiercely from the kitchen doorway.


    Upon hearing Mrs. Lai¡¯s words, Granny Li hesitated for a moment as she stepped inside the door.


    ¡°Scared, aren¡¯t you? You meddle in our family matters, so nosy¡­¡± Mrs. Lai¡¯s voice was laced with smugness.


    Granny Li resolutely walked in, pulled the kneeling and crying Daya up, and examined Mrs. Li.


    The rotten bed linens were drenched in blood, yet Mrs. Li¡¯s complexion was not the ghastly purplish-white of the gravely ill, but a normal person¡¯s healthy bloom.


    Granny Li thought it might be her last rally and reached out to check her breath at her nose.


    She pulled out an old handkerchief to wipe the sweat from Mrs. Li¡¯s face and said to the weeping Daya, ¡°Your mother is fine, she¡¯s just asleep.¡±


    ¡°Really? My mother isn¡¯t dead?¡±


    Daya¡¯s face brightened with a tearful smile. Looking at her mother, whose swelling had subsided and whose previously bruised complexion had turned rosy, even better than before, her young heart didn¡¯t think any further, only knowing the joy that her mother was all right.


    ¡°Yes, Mrs. Li¡¯s time has not come to an end, Granny will help clean up your mother,¡± Granny Li reassured her.


    Granny Li felt very odd inside, the pig-headed swelling from the wasp sting had subsided so rapidly, and her complexion was rosy, not at all like someone who had just given birth and lost a lot of blood, which should leave one pale.


    Seeing it as Mrs. Li¡¯s good fortune and robust life, Granny Li fetched a ragged handkerchief from a basin of warm water to clean Mrs. Li¡¯s soiled body.


    She picked up the dirty, tattered linens, replacing them with clean garments and old bed sheets for Mrs. Li.


    Daya picked up her little sister, whose gaze remained fixed on Granny Li¡¯s actions, the young heart marveled in silence that there were indeed good people in this world.

 Chapter 4 - Chapter 4: Chapter 4 Misconduct

    Chapter 4: Chapter 4 Misconduct


    Granny Li settled the mother-to-be and with her aged, wrinkled hands gently touched the newborn¡¯s crown wrapped in tattered cloth, its black hair soft to the touch. The infant, with eyes wide open, seemed to smile at her.


    She said, ¡°Little one, you are a bringer of blessings; I hope you can bring us a brother.¡±


    Then she instructed Daya to take care of her mother and sister before leaving the room quietly, feeling deeply disappointed with these people.


    ¡°Aunt Li, my wife, she¡­¡±


    Granny Li halted and stared intently at Hongji, who still had some conscience left.


    ¡°Mrs. Li, don¡¯t leave, the person inside is dead, and it is your fault.¡±


    Mrs. Lai chased after her from the kitchen and stopped her in her tracks.


    ¡°Uncle¡­¡± Granny Li cast a reproachful glance, looking at Hongji¡¯s father who was still in the mood to do carpentry in the straw shed, despite the serious situation at home.


    ¡°Brother-in-law, you should not interfere with my family¡¯s affairs; if you do, you must take responsibility¡­¡± Hongji¡¯s father paused in his carpentry, not even looking up as he spoke.


    ¡°The old man is right, don¡¯t even think about leaving this house,¡± Mrs. Lai said with a grim face, glaring through narrowed eyes, her small nose snorting towards the sky, her thin lips pressed tightly together.


    ¡°Mrs. Lai, if you¡¯re not letting me leave, are you inviting me to eat red eggs? Even if it¡¯s a girl, we can have red eggs, right? Or are you hoping for your daughter-in-law to die? Why don¡¯t you go in and see for yourselves? You speak as if she were already dead.¡±


    Granny Li looked disdainfully at this family, having long disapproved of their mistreatment of Mrs. Li.


    The villagers had long been gossiping, saying that Mrs. Li was simply unlucky, always bearing daughters and unable to stand up for herself, with no one able to help even if they wanted to.


    ¡°My wife isn¡¯t dead?¡± Overjoyed and disregarding the blood inside, Hongji ran into the room.


    ¡°My wife¡­¡±


    Mrs. Li was quietly sleeping there; Daya, holding the infant with wide eyes, stared at her makeshift father¡ªa tall, handsome man in a sleeveless shirt, pants wide to the knees, and old cloth shoes with long hair tied up in a cloth.


    ¡°Mother is asleep.¡±


    Hearing Daya¡¯s voice, Hongji patted her head and sighed softly, saying, ¡°You have worked hard, my girl. Take good care of your mother.¡±


    ¡°Dad, I¡¯m hungry¡­¡±


    The three girls who followed him inside looked up at their father with innocent, hopeful eyes.


    ¡°Dad, I¡¯ll go find you something to eat.¡± For the first time, Hongji felt guilty towards his wife and daughters, managing to steal a wild egg and a large bowl of millet porridge from Mrs. Lai, who was guarding the food.


    The well-behaved children in the room, upon seeing the millet porridge and the egg, shared a bit of the porridge and obediently saved the egg for Mrs. Li.


    Hongji fed a bit of rice soup to the newborn.


    Mrs. Li woke up from a nightmare, her face covered in sweat, thinking she had died, but opened her eyes to see her four daughters and the newborn being held.


    ¡°Mother, you¡¯re awake? Hungry? Dad and we saved a wild egg for you,¡± Daya said, swallowing hard, while the three younger children eyed the egg hungrily.


    Mrs. Li paused, surprised at her husband¡¯s sudden protectiveness.


    ¡°Split the egg among yourselves; Mother will have the porridge.¡±


    ¡°No, this egg is for Mother to replenish herself; we can¡¯t eat it,¡± Daya said, her sisters nodding obediently but still eyeing the egg eagerly.


    Mrs. Li insisted on sharing some of the wild egg with each child before consuming the remainder.


    By evening, Mrs. Lai returned from her eldest daughter¡¯s house and, seeing no activity in the kitchen, angrily stomped her foot and cursed towards Mrs. Li¡¯s room:


    ¡°Fine, Mrs. Li, you gave birth to a worthless child and still expect to live comfortably? You want me to cook for you, bah¡­¡±


    The sound of Mrs. Lai¡¯s scolding echoed. Her two daughters peered out through the crack in the window, silently choosing to watch the drama unfold.


    After eating millet porridge, Mrs. Li lay in bed tending to the baby. Daya, sent out by Mrs. Lai to rinse vegetables, digging the ground, and pulling weeds in their two-acre rice paddy, also carried water to irrigate their cornfield.


    While Mrs. Li was being loudly scolded outside, she anxiously placed the baby on the bed. She had just given birth and was wrapping her head with a towel, enduring the pain as she got out of bed.


    ¡°Mom, the baby¡¯s mom just gave birth. Please cook one more meal!¡± Hongji paused his carpentry work, pleading desperately with his mother. At that moment, the man regretted not being able to cook himself.


    ¡°What¡­ She couldn¡¯t produce a son, and now I should serve her? What a beautiful dream¡­¡± Mrs. Lai glared at her son in disappointment. Today, her son was being too disobedient, always speaking up for Mrs. Li.


    ¡°Granny, don¡¯t scold my mom. I¡¯ll cook.¡± Daya, having worked in the fields all afternoon, worried about her mom at home, returned dirty and tired. As soon as she entered the yard, indeed she heard Granny scolding.


    ¡°Hmph, you¡¯re not washing your hands to cook fast enough.¡± Mrs. Lai glared at her, disapprovingly noting her ill-fitting, patched cotton blouse and dirt-stained shorts reaching her knees.


    The baby wrapped in rags began to eat and sleep, eat and then sleep again. Soon, when the next day dawned, she awoke to find her mom not beside her, but three elder sisters accompanying her, with Daya nowhere in sight.


    ¡°Ah¡±


    ¡°Sister, do you need to poo or pee? I¡¯ll help you.¡± Five-year-old Er Ya took on the responsibility of caring for her younger sister. Their mom had been forced by Granny to go up the mountain to collect firewood, while the eldest sister had gone to gather pig feed.


    Tang Shiqi inwardly marveled at how such a young child shouldered heavy responsibilities, skillfully handling her personal hygiene with Er Ya¡¯s help.


    I¡¯m so hungry. Why hasn¡¯t mom come back yet?


    ¡°Second Sister, Qing is being so good.¡±


    ¡°Qing is being so good.¡±


    Listening to her other two sisters praising Qing, Er Ya showed a joyfully innocent smile, gently patting their heads and said, ¡°Qing is good, you two be good too.¡±


    ¡°Hmm hmm.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha¡±


    Er Ya and her two sisters burst into laughter, their childish giggles causing Hongji¡¯s father, who was doing carpentry in the yard, to frown in irritation.


    Yet, upon hearing his daughters¡¯ laughter, a small smile appeared on Hongji¡¯s lips; his daughters were indeed his flesh and blood.


    ¡°What¡¯s all this noise?¡±


    ¡°Quiet down.¡±


    Hearing the harsh voices of their two aunts from the neighboring room, the three little girls fearfully shrank their necks, and the room fell silent.


    When Tang Shiqi woke up and realized it was daytime, as the infant, unaware of time, had been eating and sleeping without distinguishing day from night. Today, her mom was home, attending to her needs, changing her, and feeding her.


    ¡°Look at this child, so well-behaved, born with the wrong fate! It¡¯s a pity she¡¯s not a boy, a daughter must be well raised. These sensible granddaughters will bring you blessing in the future.¡±


    Tang Shiqi paused her suckling for a moment when she heard an unfamiliar voice, realizing from the conversation that this woman was her grandmother.


    ¡°Mom, I understand, but constantly having daughters, I¡¯m nearly at my limit.¡± Mrs. Li, speaking in front of her mother, secretly wiped away her tears.


    ¡°Even if you¡¯re at your limit, hold on. Who made us women? You¡¯ve just given birth, don¡¯t always cry. One must look forward; life will get better eventually,¡± her mother consoled Mrs. Li who swallowed her bitterness and wiped her tears, understanding the reason.

 Chapter 5 - Chapter 5: Chapter 5 Growing Up

    Chapter 5: Chapter 5 Growing Up


    ¡°Come, let me hold you.¡±


    Mrs. Li obediently handed her daughter over to her mother.


    ¡°Look at this charming little face, you are blessed,¡± the grandmother said, touching Tang Shiqi¡¯s small face tenderly.


    Tang Shiqi¡¯s big, bright eyes rolled around, staring at her grandmother¡¯s face. The old woman¡¯s skin was sun-darkened with age spots. It somewhat resembled her mother¡¯s but also held a different expression from that of Mrs. Lai, her grandmother. Could it be that her grandmother and great-grandmother followed different patterns?


    By this time, she still didn¡¯t know the surname of her current family; when she had read this book, seeing the submissive Mrs. Li, she had given up after two or three chapters, thinking that if the character was dead, then so be it.


    The stepmother benefited while her five daughters suffered, yet she hadn¡¯t expected to find herself among them, feeling things differently now.


    Mrs. Li¡¯s passive tendencies might have resulted from the male-dominated society, or likely because she gave birth to daughters, feeling a sense of failure towards her husband¡¯s family; she never protested against how her mother-in-law treated her. What was even harder to accept was that her father was a ¡°filial son.¡±


    ¡°Mother-in-law, it¡¯s time for dinner.¡± Mrs. Lai, breaking her usual routine of not cooking, didn¡¯t go to her eldest daughter¡¯s place to look after the children and maintained her dignity by cooking in the kitchen.


    Tang Shiqi and Mrs. Li couldn¡¯t go out to eat; today, she was lucky to see an egg in her mother¡¯s bowl.


    For Daya and her three sisters, the happiest day was when their grandmother visited. They could sit at the table for a meal rather than just having porridge.


    Their second and third aunts were competing in eating at the dinner table, without any of the grace expected of young ladies.


    ¡°Folks, we didn¡¯t previously farm much land and had to support so many people. Fortunately, Hongji and his father are both woodworkers, which helps supplement our household income somewhat,¡± said Mrs. Lai, ostensibly bemoaning her lot but actually boasting. Who in the ten miles and eight villages didn¡¯t know they had two skilled carpenters in the family, even the rich wanted them for furniture making.


    ¡°Hmm, when our families became related through marriage, it was also because we thought your family was well-off. It is just that¡­ Although a woman gives birth to girls, it is beyond her control. You should be more tolerant, allow her to recover her health properly, so that she may have a boy in her next pregnancy.¡±


    Mrs. Li¡¯s mother, Mrs. Qi, knew very well that this family was notoriously difficult to get along with¡ªa common knowledge throughout the ten miles and eight villages. She also knew how they treated her own daughter. She couldn¡¯t reprimand them too much, fearing that they would become even more difficult with her daughter after she left.


    After that day, Mrs. Li was unable to properly rest in confinement. There were bugs in the rice field that needed to be picked, and as August and September brought hotter weather during the season the rice flowered, she was busy in the fields every day and still had to cook meals once home.


    During good weather, she also had to keep fetching firewood.


    Tang Shiqi continued to grow, and at night she could feed a couple more times. During the day, she could only wait hopefully for Mrs. Li to return home.


    Apart from Mrs. Li¡¯s milk, there was nothing else for her to eat; she could only go hungry.


    Since birth, she hadn¡¯t wet the bed once, nor did she need diapers making her an exceptionally easy child to look after. Mrs. Li was relieved; she didn¡¯t have to wash diapers, and Er Ya, at merely five years old, could easily take care of her younger sister.


    In the blink of an eye, a month passed, and Mrs. Li¡¯s child reached her one-month milestone. Far from having red eggs to celebrate, there wasn¡¯t even a monthly feast.


    Each time she went out to work, she encountered people from the village or neighbors.


    They kindly advised her not to touch cold water or go outside to work in the breeze just after giving birth.


    Mrs. Li could only offer a wry smile upon hearing their words. If she could avoid going out into the wind to work or touching cold water, then she would be living in ¡°comfort¡± at home, as her mother-in-law said. But how many times she had heard that word, she could no longer remember.


    When Mrs. Li returned from working outside, she discovered a carriage in the courtyard. When did their family start having such rich visitors? She guessed that it had come for her husband¡¯s woodworking.


    On the other side of the thatched cottage, a stranger sat drinking tea with Hongji and his father.


    Just as they were about to prepare lunch, they noticed a visitor sitting in the living room furnished with wooden furniture.


    The visitor was an old woman around 50 years old, attired in an ornate robe and skirt. She had a golden hairpin in her hair, a jade bracelet on her left wrist, silver on her right, and gold earrings. She was having tea with Mrs. Lai in the living room.


    She beckoned Mrs. Li to come into the living room, sizing her up from top to bottom, and nodded with satisfaction, ¡°Hmm, she looks quite good. I wonder if she has enough milk?¡±


    ¡°Plenty! The children at home don¡¯t need to eat anything else, they¡¯ve all grown up on her milk.¡± Mrs. Lai¡¯s greedy eyes gleamed at the thought of the silver soon to be in their grasp¡ªMrs. Li becoming a wet nurse meant a monthly salary, enough to buy grain without farming.


    ¡°Are you willing?¡± the old woman asked Mrs. Li.


    ¡°What?¡± Mrs. Li, hanging her head low in the presence of such a wealthy old woman, felt inferior and didn¡¯t understand what she meant.


    ¡°Our rich old man from the county is the wealthiest master around,¡± the old woman said, ¡°We have a Young Master who is two years old and in need of a wet nurse. I was introduced to you by others. Pack your things and come with me. You will have two taels of monthly salary, with food and lodging provided, and I will have you dressed in fine clothes.¡±


    ¡°Can I refuse? If I go, what will become of my daughter?¡± Mrs. Li had no desire for the two taels of silver, knowing it would not end up in her pocket. If she went to be a wet nurse, only her poor daughter would suffer¡ªthe youngest child was just one-month-old, how could she bear to leave.


    ¡°Mrs. Li, don¡¯t be foolish, two taels of silver,¡± Mrs. Lai said domineeringly and aggressively, used to ordering her daughter-in-law about.


    ¡°Just to be clear, there are strict rules there. Do well, and you will be rewarded. If not, there will be punishments,¡± the old woman observed keenly, knowing this daughter-in-law was so honest and timid¡ªsomeone like her would be more obedient in their household.


    ¡°Can I bring my youngest daughter with me?¡± Mrs. Li knew she had no power to resist but hoped to negotiate before submitting.


    ¡°No¡­ the young madam made it clear when I left, as did the Old Lady. You are signing a live-in contract; you may come back one day a month to visit. Beyond that, I have no authority,¡± the old woman replied.


    Mrs. Li sobbed at the thought of not seeing her girls for a month, tears streaming down her face.


    The old woman went out to the carriage and brought back a set of lake blue robes and skirts for Mrs. Li.


    Mrs. Lai eyed the outfit covetously, wanting to snatch it away, but thinking of the silver she had just acquired, she suppressed the urge.


    Mrs. Li went back to her room to change clothes and hugged her daughter on the bed, making sure to feed her before she left.


    ¡°Mommy, what a pretty dress,¡± Er Ya and her two sisters gathered around Mrs. Li.


    ¡°Mm, take good care of your sisters while I¡¯m gone. Without milk for the baby, let your eldest sister cook rice soup for her,¡± she instructed.


    Mrs. Li glanced outside; Daya had gone out to work and hadn¡¯t returned, so she wasn¡¯t able to instruct her personally.


    ¡°Mommy, why aren¡¯t you coming back?¡± Er Ya had never been away from her mother and couldn¡¯t grasp what she meant.


    ¡°Mrs. Li, hurry up,¡± the old woman urged from outside.


    Mrs. Li, with tears in her eyes, changed clothes and packed another two sets of clothes. She put on her best shoes and kissed each of her daughters on the face.


    ¡°Mommy, where are you going?¡± Er Ya was beginning to understand a little, clutching her youngest sister and leading the other two out after her.

 Chapter 6 - Chapter 6: Chapter 6 Mom Ran Away

    Chapter 6: Chapter 6 Mom Ran Away


    Mrs. Li, with tears running down her cheeks, was carrying a simple bundle and getting onto the carriage. Just then, Daya was returning home with two baskets of pig feed. Seeing her mother boarding the carriage, she set down the baskets, ran over, and cried out:


    ¡°Mother, where are you going?¡±


    Mrs. Li, with tears in her eyes, said to Daya, ¡°Mother is going to the county to work as a wet nurse for a wealthy family. You need to take good care of your sisters at home.¡±


    ¡°Mother, I don¡¯t want to¡­¡± Daya¡¯s dark, skinny hand tried to hold on to her mother.


    ¡°Good girl, Daya is the most sensible. Mother will come home one day a month.¡±


    ¡°Mother¡­ don¡¯t go¡­ wuu wuu, don¡¯t take my mother away¡­¡± Er Ya and her sisters also ran out shouting.


    Tang Shiqi was held by Er Ya, the wet nurse was running away, and she could imagine that her future days would consist only of drinking water. Isn¡¯t rice soup just water?


    She had never read such a scene in novels before! How could the plot change, but not the fate? With or without a mother, there would still be no milk to drink.


    Since her birth, Tang Shiqi, who had never cried, now thought about how she was not able to eat her fill every day. What should she do if the wet nurse ran away? ¡°Waa waa waa¡±


    ¡°Stop the carriage¡­ Stop the carriage quickly¡­¡± Mrs. Li shouted loudly. Her elder daughter and the other girls¡¯ crying hadn¡¯t hurt her so much, but the youngest girl was the one she had risked her life to give birth to this time.


    When she could finally get out of bed and walk to the doorway, Granny Li told her about something unknown to other families; she had almost died during this childbirth and did not know why she had come back to life. Just as Granny Li had said, the youngest girl was a blessed child and needed to be raised well.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind her, get moving quickly¡­¡±


    The old woman held her and instructed the driver to hurry up. They were very hungry by this time, and had arrived at such a stingy household that didn¡¯t even allow them a meal.


    The driver didn¡¯t listen to Mrs. Li; the carriage moved out of the gate and yard.


    Daya and her sisters ran out of the yard, crying and calling for their mother.


    Tang Shiqi pitifully watched the departing carriage, having barely had one meal, and not knowing what to do without a next meal.


    If she had known she would end up inside a book, she would have stored some grain and some milk to drink in her own space.


    A one-month-old child lacked the strength to farm in the space, and in the future, there would be nothing to eat, only water from the space¡¯s spring to drink.


    ¡°Crying, crying, crying, aren¡¯t you going to cook quickly?¡± Mrs. Lai came out afterwards, cruelly twisting Daya¡¯s ear with force.


    ¡°Grandma, it hurts¡­ wuu wuu, mother, will you come back? Grandma is bullying us again.¡± Daya felt her ear burning and throbbing with pain.


    ¡°Wuu wuu, Grandma, let go of my elder sister, don¡¯t hit my elder sister.¡± Er Ya and the other three sisters cried fearfully.


    ¡°Waa waa¡± Tang Shiqi was in Er Ya¡¯s arms, meeting her ferocious and evil-looking grandmother for the first time. This grandmother hadn¡¯t glanced at her once in the month she had been growing, let alone taken care of her.


    She felt that her biological father was nothing like her mother, he should be more like her grandfather. She wondered if any of her aunts were like the grandmother?


    During this month, Tang Shiqi had only heard curses, barely seen a few aunts, grandparents.


    She cried frantically, hoping only that her crying would bring her somewhat conscientious father or the neighbors around to help her sister Daya.


    ¡°Mother, please don¡¯t hit Daya¡­ Girls¡­¡± Hongji heard Daya cry out in pain, usually he too was hit by his mother, and he would just glance outside upon hearing the noise. Today, however, the loud crying of the little girl made Hongji¡¯s heart tremble, and with a softened heart, he rushed out to intervene.


    ¡°Humph, Hongji, you always take their side. Now that your wife has gone to be a wet nurse, these lazybones must cook and do the chores. Don¡¯t wait for your old mother to nag them into doing the work.¡±


    Mrs. Lai thought about the future cooking and washing, and the field work that no one would do. If Daya and the others didn¡¯t do it, was she supposed to do it herself?


    ¡°Mother, how old is my daughter? Besides, they often help out around the house. Let the younger sisters idle at home help out with some chores too!¡± For the first time, Hongji objected while his mother was speaking, looking at the tiny, thin waifs. Could they handle the fieldwork that they mentioned?


    Usually collecting some firewood, pulling some pigweed to sprinkle over food while cooking¡ªthese tasks were already their limit. What if they encountered dangerous things, like snakes?


    Washing clothes and cooking, doing farm work¡ªthat was more than an adult could finish alone; to have those little girls do it, wasn¡¯t that tantamount to hurting his own daughters¡­


    ¡°Elder brother, I need to make my wedding dress; I¡¯m busy¡­ You can¡¯t even spare your sisters, huh? Now that you have a wife and children, siding with your own flesh, but isn¡¯t your sister related by blood too?¡± Second Miss got agitated, she was getting married and didn¡¯t want to tan and become an ugly bride.


    ¡°Elder brother, am I still your sister? Your sister who grew up with you from childhood, am I worth less than your daughters?¡± Third Miss stomped her feet in the room. Since her sister-in-law had joined the family, she had never done any chores, spending her days embroidering, gossiping with Second Sister, finding relief from the heat in summer and shielding from the cold wind in winter.


    Her delicate hands would surely roughen if she did chores, unfitting for a lady who would marry into a wealthy family; how could she possibly do farm work.


    ¡°Hongji, they are your sisters. If you keep siding with these lose causes, believe it or not, I¡¯ll sell them off?¡± Mrs. Lai¡¯s threatening words silenced Hongji as he took his daughter into the kitchen, the father and daughter cooking together.


    ¡°Now scram¡­ Good for nothing but eating, profitless burdens.¡± Mrs. Lai yelled at Er Ya and the four little girls.


    Er Ya, scared of her grandmother, was genuinely frightened of being sold off along with her sisters by her ruthless grandmother who was capable of anything.


    The children took three steps and looked back at every step, always hoping for a miracle that their mother was only joking and hadn¡¯t really gone.


    ¡°What¡¯s all this shouting about? Aren¡¯t you ashamed?¡± Hongji¡¯s father stopped his carpentry work to scold. He saw villagers gathering at a distance outside in the yard.


    Their family always had something new happening, so it was no surprise, but others merely gossiped about why today¡¯s carriage had taken Mrs. Li away, and what they were doing with her. Could it be that this family had sold their daughter-in-law?


    Hearing the crying and cursing from their house, the villagers seemed to understand what was happening and started to whisper among themselves.


    Feeling embarassed by the villagers¡¯ talking, Hongji¡¯s father instructed Mrs. Lai to close the courtyard gate.


    ¡°Humph, it¡¯s all the fault of these profitless burdens, if not for them, who would we be a laughingstock?¡± Mrs. Lai scorned as she looked at the children dressed in ill-fitting, patched clothes, all muddied too.


    She was tempted to throw them out, finding their presence annoying, unlike her elder daughter¡¯s son who was clean.


    Mrs. Lai was only critical, expecting such little children to do chores, which they couldn¡¯t manage to carry heavy things without falling over, and pulling pigweed from the dirt without getting their clothes stained.


    At noon, the cooking was done by Hongji, the father, tending the fire, while the Tearful Daya managed the cooking.


    His daughter was crying continuously, and Hongji felt distressed, a big man who did not know how to utter comforting words, only able to silently tend the fire.


    ¡°Elder brother, is the meal ready? I¡¯m very hungry,¡± called Third Miss from outside.


    ¡°Is the meal ready? Why so slow? Clumsy,¡± Mrs. Lai, standing by the doorway, urged on, feeling the heat emitting from the kitchen.


    ¡°Mother, can¡¯t you be a little patient? Why don¡¯t you come and do it?¡± Hongji was sweating from tending the fire, looking at his daughter also teary and sweaty, his heart aching.

 Chapter 7 - Chapter 7: Chapter 7: Entering the Tang Mansion

    Chapter 7: Chapter 7: Entering the Tang Mansion


    Hongji¡¯s rebuttal infuriated Mrs. Lai, as her always obedient son started to disobey.


    ¡°Hongji, how can you speak like that, ah! Have you grown up to become unfilial! Oh my heavens¡­¡±


    Mrs. Lai feigned crying as she spoke.


    ¡°Mother, don¡¯t cry. The elder brother has long been heartless,¡± Third Miss added fuel to the fire.


    Hongji¡¯s miserable face dripped with even more sweat in the light of the firewood, leaving him speechless.


    ¡­


    Mrs. Li cried in the carriage from the moment they left her home, the old woman sitting inside watched in silence, devoid of much sympathy today, not offering comforting words, but proudly looking at the scenery outside.


    After leaving the village, it didn¡¯t take long for the carriage to reach the town, where the old woman asked the driver to stop and go into a shop on the main street to buy six large hot pork buns.


    The driver kept two for himself and handed the rest to the old woman.


    The old woman gave two buns to Mrs. Li and said, ¡°Your family didn¡¯t even offer any food, fortunately when leaving I had reward money given by the young madam, or else we would have gone hungry.¡±


    ¡°Are these for me?¡± Mrs. Li hesitated to accept, since she had never eaten such large buns after getting married. Before her marriage, when she earned a little money from sewing, she would sometimes buy some buns to taste.


    Reflecting upon her departure, she couldn¡¯t help but worry about the future of her five pitiful children, tears once again welling up in her eyes.


    ¡°Look here, Mrs. Li, if I give you food just take it. When you¡¯re in a wealthy family¡¯s home, you can¡¯t be so meek. To have food given to you and to cry about it, it¡¯s bad luck,¡± the old woman retorted.


    As someone who worked closely with the Old Lady and had always been a house slave, the old woman had clearly never suffered. Accustomed to the life of a wealthy family, she also adopted their disdain for the poor, exuding a sense of superiority.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Mrs. Li, paying no attention to the old woman¡¯s demeanor, lowered her head and took the buns in her hands, eating them in small bites. She was hungry, after working non-stop at home without a full meal, and having to nurse the children, her body was greatly depleted.


    However, this childbirth seemed a bit easier than before; she hadn¡¯t experienced the usual postpartum symptoms of back pain and headaches.


    After half an hour, the carriage arrived at the grand entrance of a blue-brick mansion belonging to a wealthy family in the county.


    Mrs. Li, being uneducated, could not recognize the large characters on the signboard.


    Before getting off the carriage, the old woman informed her:


    ¡°This is Tang Mansion. You¡¯re to be the wet nurse for the young madam¡¯s son; after you go in, speak little and work much, avoid gossip, watch your speech, and don¡¯t wander around. Your main task is to take good care of the Young Master.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mrs. Li meekly replied, showing a kind of fear typical for a commoner, bowing her head as she received instructions.


    ¡°This is the main entrance of Tang Mansion. As servants, we shouldn¡¯t enter through the front. The driver brought you here just so you¡¯d know what the front looks like; we¡¯ll be going in through a side door shortly.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    After giving her orders, the old woman got off the carriage first and led the way, with Mrs. Li following behind to a side entrance.


    There were guards at the main entrance and at the side entrance, too. An old woman manned the side entrance, which led to the inner courtyard.


    The old woman first led Mrs. Li to her quarters, located within the Young Master¡¯s courtyard, which housed maids and young servants.


    ¡°That room over there is yours; it¡¯s right outside the Young Master¡¯s room. You¡¯ll only sleep after the Young Master has, and if he hasn¡¯t, neither can you.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mrs. Li observed her small room, which had a mosquito net and bedding¡ªa servant and wet nurse¡¯s small room that was much better than the nuptial chamber in her own home, though the bed was a bit smaller, plenty large for one person to sleep in.


    Having so many children, they all used to sleep on one large bed at home, with the youngest sleeping foot to foot; neither she nor her husband had had room to turn.


    ¡°Leave your things here for now, and I¡¯ll take you to meet the young madam. The Young Master is with her. After you¡¯ve seen the young madam and if she or the Young Master takes a liking to you, you can stay; otherwise, you must return.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mrs. Li followed the old woman, her head hanging low as she walked, not daring to look around for fear of bumping into someone of high status.


    She silently memorized the route in her heart, knowing you can¡¯t just barge into different areas of a grand household, a story she¡¯d heard many times back in the countryside.


    They passed through the garden and came to a courtyard. At the entrance of the courtyard, there was an old woman standing guard. Upon seeing the accompanying old woman leading an unfamiliar woman inside, she said with a face full of flattery,


    ¡°Mrs. Pan, congratulations, you¡¯ve got a nice job again.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ This is thanks to Madam and the young madam thinking highly of me,¡± Mrs. Pan said proudly.


    After Mrs. Pan finished speaking, she continued walking inside and whispered to Mrs. Li, ¡°This is the young madam¡¯s courtyard, Yixin Garden. You should have met with Madam first before meeting the young madam, but Madam instructed us to let the young madam and the Young Master see you first. After that, whenever the Young Master goes to give his respects, he will naturally meet Madam.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mrs. Li didn¡¯t know the rules of Tang Mansion and committed Mrs. Pan¡¯s words to memory.


    ¡°Remember, our young madam is pregnant, so the Young Master cannot pester her. You must be loyal to the Young Master and do your job well.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡±


    Mrs. Pan led Mrs. Li to a room guarded by maids, and she asked them,


    ¡°Is the young madam awake from her nap?¡±


    ¡°The Young Master was playing around and has just fallen asleep. The young madam is resting from fatigue,¡± replied the maid.


    ¡°Please go inform the young madam that the wet nurse has been brought here.¡±


    After the maid reported back, she came out again and ushered Mrs. Pan and Mrs. Li inside.


    They passed through the beaded curtains, and on the bed canopied with a lotus-flower mosquito net lay a young woman with a softly made-up, heart-shaped face while a two-year-old Young Master, covered with a thin blanket, slept beside her.


    ¡°Young madam, I¡¯ve brought the person,¡± Mrs. Pan bowed as she greeted.


    Mrs. Li also followed Mrs. Pan¡¯s action, bowing her head for the first time, not daring to gaze directly at the person on the bed.


    Supported gently onto brocade satin plum blossom pillows by the arriving maid, the young madam surveyed Mrs. Li with serious eyes and a delicate voice lacking sternness,


    ¡°Are you healthy, and is your milk supply sufficient?¡±


    With her waist still bent, not daring to rise, Mrs. Li replied, ¡°This humble woman is well; it has only been a month since I gave birth, and my own child feeds only on my milk.¡±


    From the look on Mrs. Li¡¯s face, the young madam guessed she was telling the truth about her health. Just as she was about to say something else, the two-year-old child, who had just settled down, stirred, wrinkled his nose, opened his eyes, and cried out, ¡°Mommy, I want milk.¡±


    The young madam waved Mrs. Li over and said to her two-year-old son, ¡°My child, mommy has found you a wet nurse to feed you.¡±


    ¡°Wet nurse?¡± The two-year-old Young Master sat up abruptly, clambered over his mother, aiming to get down to the floor, heading towards Mrs. Li.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to pick up the Young Master?¡± Mrs. Pan commanded.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mrs. Li obediently went to pick up the two-year-old child.


    ¡°Wet nurse, I want milk.¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡± Mrs. Li glanced at Mrs. Pan, the young madam, and her maid, feeling embarrassed.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what the Young Master said? We¡¯re all women here,¡± Mrs. Pan chided.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mrs. Li sat down on a small stool at the side and turned her back, holding the Young Master.


    Seeing her son eating happily and no longer fussing, the young madam nodded in satisfaction and addressed Mrs. Li, whose back was turned to them, ¡°Take good care of the Young Master from now on.¡±

 Chapter 8 - Chapter 8: Chapter 8 Young Master

    Chapter 8: Chapter 8 Young Master


    Mrs. Li listened to the young madam¡¯s words and glanced at the Young Master in her arms, a bitter smile in her heart. Her own baby must be crying from hunger now, right?


    She wouldn¡¯t see her baby until a month later; would her child recognize her, his birth mother?


    ¡°Yes, young madam.¡±


    The well-fed Young Master had fallen asleep in Mrs. Li¡¯s arms, that feeling of satiated slumber. Mrs. Li looked down at the delicate baby and thought how wonderful it would be if this were her own child!


    She wondered how her own child was doing now, whether he would be crying and calling for his mother, tears from hunger.


    Tears swirled in her eyes, but she held them back, not daring to cry in front of the young madam.


    ¡°Mrs. Pan, take the Young Master¡¯s wet nurse down. Come back later for dinner,¡± said the young madam, feeling exhausted after being kept awake for the past couple of days by her son¡¯s fussiness.


    Along the way back to the Young Master¡¯s quarters, Mrs. Pan chattered to Mrs. Li, who was holding the Young Master, ¡°Mrs. Li, if it weren¡¯t for the Young Master still fussing for milk, since his former wet nurse was let go for lack of milk, it wouldn¡¯t be your turn to enjoy this privilege.


    Mrs. Li, who had been holding back her tears, now felt one trickle down; she would rather endure hardship at home where she could see her baby every day than leave her child to enjoy these comforts. No matter how nicely put, she was still a servant to others, life void of freedom.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You don¡¯t look happy. But that¡¯s how it goes; everyone who just starts working here looks like that. After you get used to the good food and comfortable living here, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t want to go back to your poor home. I saw your folks when I picked you up today; they might not be that great.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Pan, I miss my baby,¡± said Mrs. Li, looking up for the first time at the grandeur of the garden that enveloped them. With its pavilions and towers, fish ponds, and profusely blooming flowers, she could never have dreamed of living in such a place if she were not working here.


    ¡°I advise you, now that things have come to this, take good care of the Young Master. If you can get some reward money, you can buy some treats for your baby when you go home to visit.¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank you, Mrs. Pan.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Right now, we¡¯re both servants to the young madam. Who knows, one day I might need your help.¡±


    Mrs. Pan gave Mrs. Li, who appeared obedient and simple, a few more glances. Such a person was more fitting to be a wet nurse; she was no longer as arrogant as before. As she said now, in the future, she might be the one needing help. Change is the only constant, who knows what may come?


    Mrs. Li placed the Young Master in his little bed and covered him with a thin quilt, then silently sat down beside him.


    At home, she never had such leisure time, nor had she ever taken a nap during the day. At this moment, all she could think about was her baby at home, silently shedding tears.


    The Young Master¡¯s room had a crib, toys for children, and even some little books illustrated with pictures.


    Mrs. Li couldn¡¯t read, but by looking at the pictures in those storybooks, she understood that these were books for children¡¯s enlightenment.


    She then thought of her daughter at home. She was tasting the bitterness of illiteracy now; if her daughter could learn to read and count, wouldn¡¯t that make her children¡¯s lives better than hers?


    Mrs. Li quietly decided in her heart that if she had money, she would inquire where to buy books that could enlighten her children.


    ¡°Wet nurse¡­¡± The Young Master woke up after sleeping for an hour, rubbed his bleary eyes, and upon seeing Mrs. Li, he crawled out of bed and affectionately asked her to hold him.


    ¡°Young Master, are you hungry or thirsty?¡±


    ¡°I want to drink water, I want some snacks.¡± The Young Master, already two years old and only slightly dependent on milk, had eaten some solid food earlier and now wanted more.


    Mrs. Li beckoned to another maid in the courtyard to bring over some warm pastries and warm water.


    Here, she had another privilege; besides attending to the Young Master¡¯s needs, she had the highest authority and could command other servants to fulfill their duties.


    Mrs. Li tenderly fed the Young Master the food and water delivered by the maid.


    She discovered something; the Young Master was very well-behaved and smart.


    As evening approached, Mrs. Pan came once again to convey the young Madam¡¯s wishes for Mrs. Li to bring the Young Master to Yixin Garden.


    Seeing her son become obedient and lively, the young Madam tenderly watched her son, playfully interacting with Mrs. Li.


    Mrs. Li stood to the side with her head lowered, always compliant, and at this moment, she heard a man¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Haha, finally the child has stopped fussing, Madam, what are you two playing?¡±


    A male stranger entered the room, and Mrs. Li guessed that this person must be the Eldest Young Master, so her head hung even lower, and her eyes stayed fixed on the tips of her toes.


    ¡°My husband has returned, servants, bring the dishes.¡± The young Madam smiled tenderly, her affection for her husband sweet and gentle.


    Soon dishes were laid out on the table by the maid, and the Young Master had his specially prepared weaning food, which Mrs. Li stood by to feed him.


    The Eldest Young Master ate his meal and had the maid pour him wine, while secretly observing Mrs. Li, the new wet nurse, finding her honest and timid, with a gentle demeanor towards his son that did not seem feigned, and thus he felt satisfied.


    After the evening, Mrs. Li carried the Young Master back to the courtyard; following Mrs. Pan¡¯s instructions earlier, she gently soothed the Young Master to sleep. Once he was asleep, she then returned to her own room to sleep but stayed alert, waking up every couple of hours to check on him.


    The next morning, after feeding the Young Master, Mrs. Pan came over again and took Mrs. Li and the Young Master to pay respects to Madam.


    Mrs. Li, following Mrs. Pan, arrived at a grand courtyard and entered an opulent sitting room where an Old Master and a Madam were seated at the head of the room.


    The wealthy master, upon seeing the grandchild in Mrs. Li¡¯s arms, called the child over:


    ¡°Little grandson, come over to Grandfather here. ¡±


    ¡°Grandfather, Grandmother.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Madam and the Old Master replied, smiling.


    The Old Master held his grandson sitting together with him.


    Madam¡¯s eyes followed Mrs. Li, who stood in front of her, head bowed and compliant. She had already been informed that Mrs. Li had adapted to the environment within a day and taken good care of her grandson.


    ¡°Mrs. Li, you must take even more care with my grandson from now on, understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam,¡±


    Mrs. Li bowed deeply, her manner full of trepidation, having heard that wealthy people are fierce, fearful of being scolded, and fearful of being beaten.


    ¡°Jinhua, give Mrs. Li the reward money.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Jinhua the maid handed Mrs. Li a small wallet.


    ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t take this¡­¡± Mrs. Li refused honestly, shaking her hands. Having only taken care of the child for one day, receiving such a reward was something she dared not accept, feeling as if the money would burn her hand.


    Everyone in the sitting room looked at Mrs. Li, each with their own thoughts; some inwardly laughed at her foolishness for not wanting reward money.


    As the host, they indeed liked such people, not greedy, with meritorious qualities.


    ¡°If the Madam rewards you, you should take it. Just continue to take good care of the Young Master in the future,¡± Mrs. Pan encouraged Mrs. Li at the right moment.


    ¡°This¡­¡± Mrs. Li turned her head to look at Mrs. Pan and, seeing her nod, finally took the wallet with trembling hands, realizing it was not Copper Coin but broken silver inside. She put the wallet away and knelt down to express her thanks.

 Chapter 9 - Chapter 9: Chapter 9 Betrayed

    Chapter 9: Chapter 9 Betrayed


    Mrs. Li had since worked in the Tang Mansion as a wet nurse and had settled down from that day, spending every day missing her children and placing her feelings onto the Young Master.


    The Young Master was very attached to Mrs. Li, making the young madam, his own mother, a bit jealous. If it weren¡¯t for being pregnant and it being inconvenient to take care of the child, she really wouldn¡¯t want her son to get closer to the wet nurse.


    The clothes Mrs. Li brought were unwearable, but Mrs. Pan sent some items, including a set of clothes for changing, cotton underwear, and lining pants, as well as supplies for needlework, knowing she had five children and had given her some scraps and fabric, saying it was rewarded by Madam.


    Mrs. Li happily accepted them, knowing her children¡¯s clothes were patched over and over. Daya, eight years old, wore clothes that her younger aunties had worn as little girls.


    The children never had socks or shoes in the cold weather.


    Fortunately, her skillful hands wove grass shoes for the children. The items rewarded by the Second Lady allowed her to sew while the Young Master took his nap, passing the time, and also allowed her to place all her thoughts onto these items.


    ¡°Wet nurse,¡± the Young Master woke up from his nap and crawled out of bed, sitting next to Mrs. Li as she made small shoes, glanced at his own feet, then back at the small shoes, feeling they absolutely didn¡¯t fit him.


    ¡°Young Master, you¡¯re awake? Are you hungry? Do you need to ¡®pay tribute¡¯?¡± When Mrs. Li first arrived at the mansion, she spoke to the Young Master as she did at home with her children to poop and pee, but a maid later reminded her that saying ¡®to poop and pee¡¯ was not elegant, and she should say ¡°pay tribute¡± to the Young Master instead.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± the two-year-old Young Master had been well taught; he understood some everyday words and would not pee or poop in the bed.


    Mrs. Li carried the Young Master into the room¡¯s latrine and then came back and sat down again.


    ¡°Young Master, would you like some water?¡±


    ¡°I want some milk¡­¡± the Young Master climbed onto Mrs. Li¡¯s body on his own.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Mrs. Li, over these days, had already stopped treating her job like a job, being by the Young Master¡¯s side allowed her to transfer the love for her children to the Young Master, not crying day and night but just keeping them in her heart.


    After the Young Master was full, he glanced at the small shoes Mrs. Li had placed beside the bed and put the unfinished shoes on his feet.


    ¡°Young Master, be careful, there¡¯s a needle¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± Mrs. Li had just finished speaking when the Young Master¡¯s little hand was pricked by a needle.


    ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Mrs. Li checked the Young Master¡¯s hand which had a small pinhole but was not bleeding; children have less blood and a small pinhole wasn¡¯t harmful.


    ¡°Wet nurse, it doesn¡¯t hurt now.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, let me put away the things and prevent you from getting hurt again.¡±


    ¡°Wet nurse, these shoes are so small, could they have been made wrong? They don¡¯t fit me.¡±


    ¡°Young Master, I heard that your clothes and shoes are all made by the embroidery lady at home. The wet nurse¡¯s craftsmanship isn¡¯t good; the young madam might not appreciate it.¡±


    ¡°Are they for the brother my mother hasn¡¯t given birth to yet?¡±


    ¡°No, the things for the young madam are made by others; these shoes and clothes were rewarded to the wet nurse for her children by Madam.¡±


    ¡°Does the wet nurse have a little brother at home?¡±


    ¡°No, the wet nurse has three elder sisters and two younger sisters, the youngest being just over a month old.¡±


    ¡°Oh, not a brother, then I can¡¯t play with her; little sisters cry a lot and are no fun.¡±


    ¡°Young Master, the wet nurse¡¯s elder and younger sisters don¡¯t cry at all.¡± Mrs. Li said this with a gentle smile.


    ¡°Then they must be very lovely elder and younger sisters; I want to see the younger sisters.¡±


    ¡°Young Master, the wet nurse¡¯s home is very, very far away; I heard it takes a month to visit once.¡±


    ¡°Then I want to go back with the wet nurse to see the elder and younger sisters, or bring the sisters here to play with me.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t we, wet nurse? I want, I want!¡±


    ¡°Young Master, be good. You must know that here, anything we do must be approved by the wet nurse and Madam. Neither you nor I are in charge,¡± Mrs. Pan said.


    ¡°Oh,¡± the Young Master replied, somewhat understanding.


    While they were speaking, a maid outside the door exchanged a look with another maid and then turned to leave.


    The people in the courtyard were all the young madam¡¯s confidants. Seeing something was up, they went to report to the young madam.


    ¡°What? Mrs. Li has been doing private needlework and injured the Young Master?¡±


    ¡°Yes, upon hearing their conversation, we approached and saw that the Young Master¡¯s hand wasn¡¯t bleeding.¡±


    ¡°Hmph, that¡¯s still a grave sin. How dare she hurt my treasure? She must be punished.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Li really has some nerve doing private needlework in her room. Madam gave her so many things and even rewarded her with copper coins, just because she saw her plight and that she was the Young Master¡¯s wet nurse; she showed her special favor. Mrs. Li truly does not know when she¡¯s well-off.¡±


    A new wet nurse who had just started was rewarded so generously upon her arrival, becoming the darling of the entire mansion. This news spread among everyone, instigating jealousy in those without firm roots, prompting some to seek to replace her with one of their own.¡±


    ¡°Bring Mrs. Li here. I will personally interrogate her.¡± The young madam was naturally kind-hearted, but the Young Master was her baby. She also felt her baby¡¯s reliance on Mrs. Li, which left a bitter taste in her heart as a mother.


    The maid curtsied and left, heading to the Young Master¡¯s courtyard. She exchanged glances with another maid and entered the Young Master¡¯s room.


    Mrs. Li and the Young Master were looking at a picture book, telling stories through the images¡ªsomething even she, who could not read, could understand.


    ¡°Hehe,¡± the Young Master laughed joyfully.


    Mrs. Li¡¯s face broke into a tender smile, happy in the moment.


    Seeing Mrs. Li¡¯s joyful expression, the maid felt displeased and even thought, ¡°Now you are laughing happily, but soon you¡¯ll be just as sad.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t sure whether the young madam would have someone beat Mrs. Li.


    ¡°Mrs. Li, the young madam summons you to pay your respects.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Mrs. Li was about to pick up the Young Master to accompany her.


    ¡°Mrs. Li, the young madam said only you are to come.¡±


    Mrs. Li gently put the Young Master down, but he clung to her, grabbing the hem of her dress, unwilling to let her go.


    ¡°Wet nurse, hold me.¡±


    ¡°Young Master, Mrs. Li will be right back. This maid will hold you,¡± another maid who was standing by the door offered, lifting the Young Master.


    ¡°No, no, I want to go!¡± the Young Master struggled.


    ¡°Young Master, be good. The wet nurse will be back soon.¡±


    Having reassured the Young Master, and with his reluctant gaze following her¡ªas if they were parting in life and death¡ªwhy did such terms come to mind for Mrs. Li?


    The other maid, leading the way with a curl of her lip, thought to herself that the young madam¡¯s punishment might skin her alive or even banish her from the mansion, and whether she could return was another matter altogether.


    Mrs. Li followed the maid to the young madam¡¯s courtyard parlor, where the accompanying maid greeted the young madam and then stood aside, ready to watch what unfolded.


    Mrs. Li, timid and subservient, bowed deeply. Even she, na?ve as she was, could sense something was off in the atmosphere of the parlor. The young madam sitting in the main seat looked stern. Mrs. Li, bowing her head, clueless about what she might have done wrong, said nervously:


    ¡°Young madam, Mrs. Li is here to pay her respects.¡±

 Chapter 10 - Chapter 10: Chapter 10 We Are Poor

    Chapter 10: Chapter 10 We Are Poor


    The young madam¡¯s stern gaze bore into Mrs. Li like a knife, ¡°Mrs. Li, are you aware of your crime?¡±


    Mrs. Li, terrified, knelt before the young madam, her body trembling. As a mere nobody in the presence of a madam from a wealthy family, she was filled with both inferiority and fear.


    ¡°Young madam, Mrs. Li doesn¡¯t understand what crime the young madam is referring to?¡±


    The young madam, faced with Mrs. Li¡¯s act of playing dumb or perhaps genuine confusion, became even more annoyed and said, ¡°Mrs. Li, don¡¯t think that I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve done in the Young Master¡¯s room. How dare you engage in private work there and even use a needle on the Young Master? What punishment do you think you deserve?¡±


    ¡°I realize my mistake,¡± Mrs. Li admitted, knowing that she was under someone else¡¯s roof and had no choice but to bow her head; accepting money for servitude was inherently degrading, and her status as a housekeeper, combined with her impoverished background, couldn¡¯t afford to offend the madam of a wealthy family.


    The young madam was initially so furious that she wanted to have Mrs. Li beaten but then considered Mrs. Li¡¯s usefulness, and given her own pregnancy, she couldn¡¯t rashly punish anyone.


    ¡°Hmph, considering this is your first offense, I will give you a warning. If there¡¯s a next time, you will face the family¡¯s discipline.¡±


    ¡°Yes, young madam, Mrs. Li won¡¯t dare to do it again,¡± Mrs. Li said, kowtowing on the ground.


    ¡°Get up! You must be more attentive to the Young Master from now on and must not repeat the same mistake,¡± the young madam said and then waved Mrs. Li and the maid away with a gesture.


    ¡°Yes¡±


    Mrs. Li¡¯s heart trembled as she stood up and walked out with unsteady steps, high and low. Having previously heard about the strict rules of a wealthy family, experiencing them firsthand left her sweating all over.


    ¡°Mrs. Li, how lucky you are, the young madam didn¡¯t punish you,¡± the maid said with contempt as she watched Mrs. Li walk away with her head down.


    ¡°Indeed, the young madam is merciful.¡±


    Mrs. Li suspected that it might have been this person who had reported her wrongdoing but dared not express any objections to her. The people in the mansion were loyal to their masters and served as their eyes, especially those around such a young Young Master; the masters paid them even greater attention.


    ¡°Hmph,¡± the maid pursed her lips, but she didn¡¯t dare to offend Mrs. Li too harshly. If Mrs. Li were to seek revenge after gaining some backbone, it would backfire on her.


    After that day, Mrs. Li no longer dared to do private work in front of the Young Master¡¯s bed; she would instead wait until the Young Master had fallen into a deep sleep at night before she worked under the oil lamp, making shoes, clothes, handkerchiefs, and socks for the dolls.


    ******


    Mrs. Li went to work as a wet nurse for a wealthy family and her previous chores fell upon Daya, Er Ya, and Sanya. The eldest of these children was eight years old and the youngest just over three, trying their hands at adult tasks, especially Daya, who took over the mother¡¯s task of cutting grass on the hill and carrying it back.


    An eight-year-old¡¯s strength is limited; she carried two bundles of grass weighing over 30 pounds each, resting after walking for a bit.


    Her younger sisters had collected firewood, and with small arms, they walked and rested alongside her.


    As the weather grew hotter, the sweat-soaked clothes clung to the children¡¯s bodies. Even when they fell, they would grit their teeth, get up, and continue working.


    ¡°Daya, you¡¯re so diligent. Do you want Brother to help you?¡± Gou Dan, leading a group of rowdy boys, was also out gathering firewood, climbing trees to raid bird nests, and enjoying their boisterous fun.


    ¡°Hmph, bad egg who beat my mother, I won¡¯t deal with you,¡± Daya remembered the time Gou Dan and others had thrown stones.


    ¡°Haha, you hold a grudge. Seeing how pretty you are, I wanted to help. Just call me brother, and I¡¯ll help you,¡± Gou Dan said. His sloppy appearance and clothes starkly contrasted with Daya¡¯s clean face and sweat-soaked clothes. He thought of their playacting at adult games like ¡®house¡¯ and mimicked the saucy demeanor of theatrical scoundrels flirting with girls.


    ¡°Go away, go away, you¡¯re filthy,¡± Daya, facing Gou Dan who was a year older and extremely mischievous, still snotty-nosed and grubby compared to even her newborn sister, waved him away with disgust.


    ¡°Hmph, my mother said, even when I grow up, I wouldn¡¯t marry you. Wouldn¡¯t want someone like your mother, who gives birth to girls but no boys,¡± Gou Dan declared with what he thought was a dashing gesture, leading his troop of boys away.


    ¡°Hahaha,¡± laughed the boys, their mocking laughter lingering in the air.


    Daya jumped on the spot in frustration, then picked up the kindling again and headed home with her two younger sisters.


    ¡°These lazybones, only doing such a little work and then coming back, is this bit of kindling going to be enough for our family¡¯s use for one day? What if it rains, do they expect us to snap the kindling in half?¡±


    Mrs. Lai¡¯s eyes blazed with anger, for Mrs. Li had always washed the entire family¡¯s clothes, and she washed them very cleanly.


    Ever since Mrs. Li went to the county, Mrs. Lai would get up in the morning and knock on Da Y¡¯s door, telling her to wash clothes and cook.


    Da Y, with her slow movements, could cook breakfast but wouldn¡¯t be able to wash the clothes; by the time the sun was high in the sky, she couldn¡¯t get any other chores done.


    Mrs. Lai had no choice but to delegate the task of washing clothes to her two daughters, keeping the cooking for herself, while the outdoor farm work, grass cutting, and pigweed gathering were left to Daya and her two sisters.


    Mrs. Lai, cooking three meals a day, felt both hot and tired working in such a warm place as the kitchen, and now she couldn¡¯t go to her elder daughter¡¯s place to help with the children and was complained about by her.


    Concerning the two youngest children at home, Mrs. Lai couldn¡¯t be bothered to check on them, and simply ignored them.


    Hongji, out of desperation, could only let the two little ones stay in the room, entering every hour or two to check on them.


    He was very relieved to find that his two young daughters were very sensible and did not cry or fuss.


    Tang Shiqi had foreseen that, after her mother left, she would have no milk to drink and would only have water.


    As expected, she had rice soup three times a day, so watery that she no longer needed to urinate, which left her small heart in pain from hunger.


    She could only steal sips of the spiritual spring water from the space when no one was paying attention, and when her elder sister was asleep.


    Being just over a month old, she couldn¡¯t enter the space yet and could only use her will to draw out the spring water.


    She had previously wanted to help her three elder sisters by sharing some spiritual spring water with them so their frail and exhausted bodies could be nourished.


    But unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t crawl, couldn¡¯t move, and couldn¡¯t give them the water from the space to drink.


    Lying in bed at night, Hongji, now playing the role of both father and mother, finally understood his wife¡¯s difficulties.


    ¡°Ah ah ah ah¡±


    Sometimes in the middle of the night, the youngest child would cry, and he, wanting to stay in bed a while longer, would say groggily, ¡°Wife, the baby¡¯s awake.¡±


    His only reply was the deep slumber of the other children, and it was in the midst of his youngest daughter¡¯s louder cries that he remembered his wife wasn¡¯t home.


    Tang Shiqi didn¡¯t want to wail in the middle of the night and hoped her father and sisters could sleep well.


    Helplessly, her body couldn¡¯t withstand the hunger from only having eaten rice soup, which made her easily feel both hunger and the urge to urinate.


    A small body with a mature soul truly didn¡¯t want to wet the bed.


    She could endure the hunger, but she couldn¡¯t fight her physiological reactions.


    ¡°Oh oh oh¡±


    Hongji took on the role of his wife, soothing his youngest daughter and picking her up¡­


    ¡°Sigh, my little girl, we¡¯ve wronged you, our family is poor, and we have no other milk to give you,¡± he said to himself, guilt-ridden, not believing his little girl could understand.


    Tang Shiqi, enduring the hunger, closed her eyes and pretended to sleep, unable to bear watching her father becoming more and more like a mother.

 Chapter 11 - Chapter 11: Chapter 11 The Hardworking Little Bee

    Chapter 11: Chapter 11 The Hardworking Little Bee


    Hongji had settled the little girl down and immediately fell asleep. His wife had only been away for two days, and he missed her terribly, whether it was her presence or the help she could provide around the house.


    The weather was still very hot, and at night there were mosquitoes. He wasn¡¯t sure if the tiled house was cooler, or maybe their room, with a girl in it, was just naturally free of mosquitoes and cooler.


    Although Hongji was exhausted, he still woke up twice in the middle of the night but managed to get a good sleep.


    ¡°Thump, thump, thump¡±


    Hongji had just felt like he had fallen asleep when the door was knocked on thunderously, accompanied by his mother¡¯s loud voice, ¡°Get up! You lazy bones, the sun is high in the sky, and you¡¯re still not up? Do you expect your old mother to wait on you?¡±


    The girls in the room, startled by the voice that sounded like a demon¡¯s, had been sleeping soundly but now scrambled out of bed at once.


    Daya took the lead in washing her sisters¡¯ faces, gave a glance to her youngest sister still deep in sleep, and then started to lead the two eldest out to work.


    Hongji had no choice but to get out of bed. He also needed to help the children with some chores, and even if his mother and father glared at him, he felt sorry for such young children having to do so much work.


    During the day, he had to do carpentry and couldn¡¯t go out to help with the farm work, so he relied on getting up early to help as much as he could.


    He entrusted the care of the one-year-old to watch over her sister as they carried on with another day¡¯s hard work.


    Daya had just left with her two sisters to prepare breakfast and feed the family pig, which was a sow that had recently birthed a litter.


    Yawning, the Second Miss entered the kitchen to fetch water for washing her face.


    ¡°Daya, later on, wash all the family¡¯s clothes,¡± she said.


    ¡°Second Miss, I still need to go feed my little sister, and we also have to do farm work. If we wash everyone¡¯s clothes, we won¡¯t have time for the fields.¡±


    ¡°How can you be so slow-moving, making excuses for such little work? Are you not listening to your second sister anymore? Do you want a beating?¡±


    The Third Miss, having heard Second Sister¡¯s words, didn¡¯t want to do laundry either. Household chores would roughen her hands, and she firmly believed she was destined for a life of wealth and had simply been born into the wrong family; there was still hope for a better second half of her life.


    ¡°Second Sister, Third Sister, even my little ones are heading out to do farm work, and you won¡¯t even give a hand. I¡¯ve heard from Daya that the rice crops have been infested with pests; she has been catching bugs these past few days,¡± said Hongji as he took over the task of carrying water for his mother and entered the kitchen with a shoulder pole laden with buckets.


    ¡°All this noise early in the morning, there¡¯s not a single day of peace.¡± Hongji¡¯s father got up and gave everyone a piercing glare. Having been the subject of much gossip when he was out, it galled him to not be able to hold his head high in rebuttal.


    A major source of his irritation was not having a son with the ¡°handle,¡± and he took out his frustrations on the young children.


    ¡°Mom, Dad, look, our hands have become rough from washing clothes these past two days, and now Big Brother is scolding us too,¡± the Third Miss whined after Hongji ordered the four daughters to get to work and then went back to catch up on sleep.


    Mrs. Lai glanced at her son Hongji, whose personality seemed to have changed a bit. Although her daughters held a significant place in her heart, her son weighed a little heavier, and she was more concerned about the pest infestation in the crops he mentioned. That was their sustenance for the coming months.


    ¡°Listen to your brother and your father. Stop squabbling, it doesn¡¯t look good for a young lady to have such a reputation,¡± she said.


    ¡°Mom¡­¡± The Third Miss stamped her foot angrily, unable to escape the washing task. She could only glare resentfully at Daya and her sisters.


    Daya, with her two sisters, timidly returned to their room with the little millet porridge Mrs. Lai had given them.


    When Tang Shiqi woke up, her three older sisters were not in the room, only the younger one watching over her.


    ¡°Little sister, are you hungry?¡± The just-over-one-year-old Siwa, who could eat with a wooden spoon on her own, felt a strong sense of responsibility for the task her sisters and father had entrusted to her and tried to feed her younger sibling diligently.


    Tang Shiqi looked at the bowl that contained only broth and let out a wry smile. Previously, due to a misunderstanding, she didn¡¯t know whether to eat or to urinate, so she created two secret codes for her elder sisters and father.


    If she wanted to urinate, she would blow bubbles, and if she wanted to eat, she would smack her lips. At first, neither her father nor her elder sisters understood, only her mother knew. Her mother had already taught these secret codes to her father and sisters.


    Tang Shiqi was frustrated with her inability to move, her diet restricted to just water and being unable to go outside with her, feeling stifled in this room, leading a tedious life of eating and then sleeping, and vice versa.


    ******


    Mrs. Li knew that in two days, she would have a day off to rest for a month. While taking the Young Master to pay respects to Madam, they encountered the housekeeper at the entrance, who was just about to leave.


    ¡°Housekeeper Tang, could I trouble you with something?¡± Mrs. Li had always wanted to find someone suitable to purchase things for her and didn¡¯t think the people around the Young Master would be of help to her.


    ¡°Mrs. Li, please say what you need. If it¡¯s within my capability, I will certainly help,¡± replied Housekeeper Tang, who had encountered Mrs. Li many times before. This was the first time the honest nursemaid of the Young Master had asked him for a favor, and he could not immediately guess the nature of Mrs. Li¡¯s request.


    ¡°Housekeeper, I¡¯m not sure where to buy the Young Master¡¯s picture books. In two days, I have to go back home for a visit. I¡¯d like to buy two books for my daughters.¡±


    ¡°Sure, anything else you need? Since you have children, I can buy some children¡¯s items for you, too.¡±


    ¡°No need, no need. Madam has gifted me some fabric, and I¡¯ve already made clothes and shoes for my kids.¡±


    ¡°Alright, once I¡¯ve bought them, I¡¯ll have someone deliver them to you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll give you the money first.¡±


    ¡°Two picture books aren¡¯t worth much. Consider them a gift for your children,¡± Housekeeper Tang said, waving his hand generously.


    That evening, Mrs. Li received two picture books sent by the housekeeper¡¯s boy, along with an additional toy bell for a child.


    She joyfully tucked away these items, eagerly awaiting her day of return home.


    The next day, holding the Young Master in her arms, she went to pay respects to Madam.


    ¡°Mrs. Li, you¡¯ve been with our family for a month. Here is your monthly salary. Are you going home for a visit and rest tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡±


    ¡°Fine, tomorrow I¡¯ll have someone drive you home in the carriage and the driver will bring you back after midday. As the Young Master¡¯s nursemaid, you shouldn¡¯t be away from him for too long.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mrs. Li had thought she could stay overnight at home, spend more time with her children, but hearing Madam¡¯s instruction, she could only nod and acquiesce.


    Madam had been kind to her, and for such a minor request, she could only agree.


    ¡°Jinhua, give Mrs. Li the gifts for her family visit, and her monthly salary as well.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Jinhua, the maid, left, and returned shortly with a bundle in her hands.


    ¡°Mrs. Li, this is the gift prepared for your family visit by Madam, and here is your monthly salary.¡±


    ¡°Madam, thank you¡­¡± Mrs. Li accepted the purse and noticed it contained more than two taels of silver, ¡°Madam, there¡¯s extra money.¡±


    ¡°Keep it! That¡¯s a reward for you. Just make sure you do your job well in the future,¡± Madam said with a wave of her hand.

 Chapter 12 - Chapter 12: Chapter 12 Got the Reward

    Chapter 12: Chapter 12 Got the Reward


    ¡°Thank you, Madam,¡± Mrs. Li said gratefully as she knelt to give thanks.


    ¡°Rise. Put the things back first; let the grandchild play with me for a while,¡± Madam commanded Mrs. Li with a wave of her hand, a small smile on her authoritative face.


    ¡°Hee hee hee,¡± the Young Master laughed in his grandmother¡¯s embrace, taking advantage of his grandfather¡¯s distraction with his book to tug at his beard.


    ¡°You little rascal, ambushing your grandfather, your bottom deserves a spanking.¡±


    ¡°No, no, don¡¯t. Spanking hurts, Grandmother save me¡­¡± the Young Master went to hug his grandmother¡¯s neck.


    Ever since the young madam became pregnant, she hadn¡¯t visited this side to pay her respects, only having servants bring the Young Master over.


    Mrs. Li took her bundle and headed back to the Young Master¡¯s courtyard, where she was seen returning with items once again.


    ¡°Mrs. Li, are those the Young Master¡¯s things?¡± a maid asked curiously. The old woman in the courtyard, as well as the other maids, looked on intently, wanting to hear Mrs. Li¡¯s reply. Even the house slave paused his work, noting that Mrs. Li was favored, bringing something back from Madam¡¯s courtyard for the second time.


    ¡°No, they¡¯re little gifts from Madam, saying I¡¯m going back to visit my family tomorrow and that they¡¯re for the children,¡± Mrs. Li answered honestly. In fact, if she wasn¡¯t honest, it wasn¡¯t like the news around the household was a secret. They would find out anyway, and pretending would only lower her standing.


    ¡°Mrs. Li, you¡¯re truly fortunate. Even when we, who are house slaves, go home to visit our families, we don¡¯t receive such honor. To receive gifts from Madam twice in one month of service,¡± the envious maid said, her sentiment echoed by nods from the other maids, the old woman, and the house slave.


    ¡°Well, I thought everyone did. I¡¯m really thankful to Madam. She probably thought my family was poor!¡±


    Mrs. Li could only respond thus when faced with their envious gazes.


    ¡°Mrs. Li, you¡¯re lucky indeed. Even previous wet nurses didn¡¯t receive such good treatment,¡± the doorkeeping old woman said jealously.


    ¡°Yes! We¡¯ve worked here so long, always beside the Young Master, and although Madam rewards us too, she hasn¡¯t been as thoughtful as she has been with you,¡± said a young servant, who carried water in the courtyard.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, everyone, I want to put these things away, and then I have to go back to Madam¡¯s courtyard,¡± Mrs. Li said, not daring to linger in the courtyard too long. She had to take the Young Master to the young madam¡¯s courtyard after putting things away.


    People talked behind her back, knowing the prestigious position of the Young Master¡¯s wet nurse and many wished to recommend their relatives for such a spot.


    They were truly envious of Mrs. Li¡¯s job, which offered a higher monthly salary and more rewards than theirs.


    When Mrs. Li returned once more to Madam¡¯s living room, the Young Master called out loudly upon seeing her enter, ¡°Wet nurse, if you don¡¯t come back, Grandfather is going to spank me.¡±


    The Young Master¡¯s milky voice made his grandfather laugh and cry at once. He shook his head and lightly pinched the child¡¯s nose, saying, ¡°You little rascal, learning to tattle, you¡¯re so small but already so cunning.¡±


    ¡°Grandfather, don¡¯t you bully me. The wet nurse is here for her grandson,¡± the Young Master showed no fear of his grandfather.


    ¡°Young Master, you mustn¡¯t talk nonsense. Come, let your wet nurse take you to Yixin Garden,¡± Mrs. Li said, her head bowed and a slight smile gracing her lips as she observed the harmonious scene between grandson and grandfather. She couldn¡¯t help but think of her own children and her family. Could it be that boys are different from girls, or is it that people are different from one another?


    Mrs. Li carried the Young Master through the garden, followed by a maid.


    ¡°Wet nurse, those flowers are very pretty.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s the little girls who like flowers. Do you like flowers too, Young Master?¡±


    ¡°My mother likes flowers. Do you, wet nurse?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the wet nurse likes wildflowers from the mountains.¡±


    ¡°Can the wet nurse pick flowers to wear? Do you pick flowers to bring back for your elder sisters and sisters?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t, it¡¯s too much trouble.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s troublesome,¡± the Young Master seemed to understand yet didn¡¯t fully grasp the concept.


    Mrs. Li carried the Young Master to Yixin Garden, where the young madam greeted them with a smile and waved to her son as they entered.


    ¡°Mommy¡­¡± The Young Master was about to rush over when Mrs. Li held him back and said,


    ¡°Young Master, the young madam is carrying a heavy burden, and you mustn¡¯t hurt your little brother.¡±


    ¡°Will it hurt my little brother? But my mommy didn¡¯t say it hurts,¡± the Young Master didn¡¯t understand but obediently hugged and kissed the young madam.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, have you been good?¡± the young madam¡¯s gentle tone and tender expression were directed at her son.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been good¡­¡± The Young Master buried his head in the young madam¡¯s embrace.


    ¡°Mrs. Li, I heard you¡¯re going home to visit tomorrow? Is it possible not to go?¡±


    ¡°This¡­ Young Madam, if I go back earlier, I can return sooner. I don¡¯t know how the children at home have been this month?¡± Hearing the young madam ask this, Mrs. Li¡¯s face turned red with anxiety. Not being able to return home to see her own children was like cutting into her own flesh, her own heart.


    ¡°How did Madam arrange it for you?¡± the young madam softened a bit seeing Mrs. Li¡¯s pitiable state.


    ¡°Madam said that I should take the carriage home in the morning and return after lunch,¡± said Mrs. Li.


    ¡°If that is the case, then let¡¯s proceed that way! We are both mothers, and I wouldn¡¯t want others to say I¡¯m stingy. You are entitled to your leave, but the Young Master is too young, so you should come back early. Others might go on their family visits by riding or walking, but you have the honor of going back by carriage. You should cherish it,¡± said the young madam, her words carrying a slight threat.


    ¡°Young Madam, Mrs. Li knows what¡¯s good for her.¡± Mrs. Li had not signed a contract selling her life; she wasn¡¯t really a servant but rather a housekeeper. Unlike a bonded servant, whether under a dead or live contract, who lacked freedom, a housekeeper also lacked security and could be dismissed at any time.


    ¡°Since Madam has rewarded you, I shall also give you a little something,¡± said the young madam graciously.


    With a magnanimous air, the young madam instructed a maid to bring a small package, which the maid then handed to Mrs. Li.


    ¡°This contains hair ornaments for girls; take them back for your children,¡± said the young madam.


    ¡°Thank you, Young Madam.¡±


    ¡°Mm, these ornaments aren¡¯t something you can buy on any street, they are quality goods brought over from the Royal City by my maternal family,¡± the young madam said with pride on her face.


    ¡°Thank you, Young Madam.¡± Mrs. Li wasn¡¯t one for gossip and had no idea where the young madam¡¯s maternal family was from or what they did. These things were of no concern to her.


    Being a young madam of a wealthy family meant having different means and status ¨C either rich or noble.


    Mrs. Li was inwardly delighted, with gifts to take back to her children. Thinking of how her children used to wear tattered clothes and how she would tie their hair with broken pieces of fabric fashioned into ties.


    Nowhere near as precious or beautiful as the gifts from the young madam.


    How could they, country folks, have ever seen so many nice things?


    Mrs. Li had never seen such beautiful hair ornaments in her life; the only thing she owned was a wooden hairpin in her hair.


    The next morning, just as dawn broke, Mrs. Li got everything ready and went to check on the still-sleeping Young Master, instructing the maid to keep an eye on him and take good care of him once he woke up.


    The maids in the Young Master¡¯s courtyard merely nodded their heads at Mrs. Li, their glances at each other flickering.


    The innocent and honest Mrs. Li didn¡¯t notice the finer details and never suspected that someone might want to trap her or deliberately harm the Young Master.

 Chapter 13 - Chapter 13: Chapter 13 Maternal Home

    Chapter 13: Chapter 13 Maternal Home


    The two maids with other ideas pursed their lips upon hearing Mrs. Li¡¯s words, one of them rolling her eyes haughtily and saying:


    ¡°Mrs. Li, don¡¯t think that just because you¡¯re going back to visit family, Young Master can¡¯t do without you. Didn¡¯t we used to take care of the previous wet nurse¡¯s work?¡±


    ¡°Exactly, as if anyone can¡¯t live without you. Your husband did just fine without you for a month,¡± another maid added insultingly.


    Mrs. Li was in a good mood today and didn¡¯t mind their sarcastic remarks; a month of association had already made her aware that these two were difficult to get along with.


    ¡°That is very good; I can visit my family with peace of mind.¡±


    When Mrs. Li got to her room, she didn¡¯t bother about breakfast¡ªthat would be the final straw if Young Master woke up, saw her about to leave, and started crying to make her stay.


    Having seen Young Master grow so attached to her over the past month, she didn¡¯t believe what the maid had said, that Young Master wouldn¡¯t cry if she left.


    Mrs. Li took two bundles with her, one larger bundle filled with things to take back home, and a smaller one with things for her parental home. After spending a month in the confined space of the county, she longed for her mother as well.


    In the past, all the money earned by her and her husband was managed by her mother-in-law, and she hadn¡¯t given it much thought before, believing that since everything she needed was provided at home, it didn¡¯t matter who controlled the money¡­!


    However, since giving birth a month ago and then enduring such a miserable plight¡ªwhen the family treated her like a pig or dog¡ªit dawned on her that even sick animals get a veterinarian, yet she, a woman in childbirth, wasn¡¯t even allowed the aid of a midwife.


    Was it her wish to bear sons and daughters for their family and branch out the family tree?


    Mrs. Li felt somewhat disheartened, but what about the few children at home¡ªwhat would she do without them?


    In the past month of working here, she had learned a lot and heard others casually talk about saving private money.


    At that time, Mrs. Li thought that if she hadn¡¯t been so honest, if she had saved a bit of private money, her children wouldn¡¯t have had to suffer so much, and neither would she have endured such heartache.


    The reward money she received twice from the Madam couldn¡¯t be carried on her person, nor could it be left in the room in the courtyard, so she came up with a solution¡ªto return to her parental home and leave the reward money with her mother to keep. Even if her mother used it for herself, it would still be a gesture of filial respect.


    Over the years, she had always given birth to daughters, and her own mother had given her no small amount of support.


    Sometimes she felt Mrs. Lai was right when she berated her for being a money loser, always taking from her marriage home!


    Mrs. Li exited through the side door and there stood an ordinary coach; the coachman greeted her cordially with a nod. Because men and women should not have too much contact, it was inappropriate to say too much and risk being misunderstood.


    Mrs. Li merely nodded in return. She had seen this coachman once before when he had transported her to the mansion. As she settled into the coach, she said to the coachman:


    ¡°Driver brother, please take this little woman first to the ancient village, as there¡¯s something I need to do there.¡±


    ¡°Alright, you direct me. Mrs. Li, today wherever you wish to go you can command me, but you must return after hour chimes, as per the housekeeper¡¯s instructions.¡±


    ¡°Understood; we¡¯ll do as the master says. If there is anything improper about what this little woman does, please remind me, driver brother.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, we both are servants; all understood.¡±


    The carriage didn¡¯t move very fast, but it was smooth, and even on the uneven parts of the road, it did not jolt too much¡ªtestament to the coachman¡¯s skill.


    During Mrs. Li¡¯s previous tear-filled trip to the county, she had not taken the time to enjoy the scenery along the way. Perhaps it was different going home today, feeling an eager anticipation that allowed her to appreciate the view and the realization that the life of the wealthy really was different from that of the poor.


    Even she, a mere ordinary wet nurse, had the luxury of a coach ride home. In the past, she definitely would have made the long journey on foot, a distance that couldn¡¯t be covered in less than an hour.


    She also saw people carrying things to sell in the county, their steps hastening along.


    Mrs. Li felt different, and the things she saw felt different too.


    This trip to the county had broadened her horizons and made her timid temperament a bit stronger.


    Mrs. Li asked the driver to stop at the entrance to the old village and took both cloth-wrapped bundles with her; it wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t trust the driver, but the things inside were for her children.


    When she arrived at her family¡¯s house, most of the households at that hour were out working in the fields, leaving only the elderly and children at home.


    Mrs. Li reached her family¡¯s door and knocked; shortly thereafter, several footsteps ran out, the sounds indicating they were children. When the door opened and the children saw her, she wasn¡¯t wearing the plain, sun-darkened clothing of before.


    In that one month, Mrs. Li¡¯s skin had become much fairer. Naturally fair-skinned with clear brows and fine eyes, now she stood at the doorstep, the children were hesitant to call out, afraid they might mistake her for someone else.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you recognize your second aunt anymore? You don¡¯t call me second aunt after a few months?¡± Mrs. Li was the second eldest in her family, with one older brother, one elder sister, and a younger brother, whose male child was just over a year old.


    ¡°It¡¯s second aunt, haha.¡±


    ¡°Grandma, second aunt is here!¡±


    The voices of the boys and girls ushered out an elderly lady with graying hair, holding a boy of a little over one year in her arms.


    ¡°Mom, your daughter has come.¡± Mrs. Li saw Grandma Qi, tears welling up in her eyes.


    ¡°Come in first. Did you suffer much in the county?¡± Grandma Qi was concerned about her daughter, especially over the past month, having heard from villagers that someone took her to be a wet nurse.


    Grandma Qi worried not only for her daughter¡¯s children but also for her daughter¡¯s safety in the household of a wealthy family. Born into a poor family, how could she know all the rules of a grand household?


    Today, seeing Mrs. Li dressed nicely and with a healthier look, her face a little plumper indicating she had been eating and living well, was a sign of improved color.


    Mrs. Li, under the watchful eyes of many children, untied one of the small bundles.


    ¡°Is this a treat?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s very tasty!¡± Mrs. Li brought treats for the children, delivered the previous night by the Madam. These treats could last a day or two and were soft and sticky, suitable for the elderly and children to eat.


    Mrs. Li distributed the treats to the children, giving a piece to Grandma Qi and another for the child she held.


    ¡°It¡¯s good enough just to see you back. Why buy treats? We can¡¯t spend money like that even if we have it; we must think of the children.¡± Grandma Qi remarked on the fancy treats, unwilling to eat them without reservation.


    ¡°Mom, the Madam of the household specifically prepared these for my visit home. Before coming back, I thought of you all first. I also have something else¡­ Let¡¯s talk in the room.¡± Mrs. Li wanted to continue speaking, but seeing the half-grown children around, she feared they might let something slip.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Grandma Qi set down the toddler, asking his siblings to watch over him, and followed Mrs. Li into her small room.


    ¡°Tell me, what¡¯s on your mind?¡± Grandma Qi sat down on the bed and gestured for her daughter to sit on a small stool in front of the bed.


    ¡°Mom, during my time with the household, the Madam rewarded me with money twice. I can¡¯t take this money back with me; I want to leave it with you.¡±


    Mrs. Li said as she took off a purse from around her waist and handed it to her mother.

 Chapter 14 - Chapter 14: Chapter 14 Mrs. Lis Thoughts

    Chapter 14: Chapter 14 Mrs. Li¡¯s Thoughts


    Grandma Qi saw her daughter capable of understanding and nodded slightly; knowing her daughter could plan for herself, she didn¡¯t have to worry so much for her.


    Now aged and at home taking care of her grandson, she had no ability to help her daughter further, only hoping she could rely on her own strength to live a better life.


    ¡°You¡¯re thinking right by doing this. If you had been kinder to yourself before, life wouldn¡¯t be so hard now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it won¡¯t be like this in the future,¡± Mrs. Li said as she placed the small purse in Grandma Qi¡¯s hands.


    Grandma Qi opened the small purse and her hands trembled when she saw the coins inside. She exclaimed in surprise, ¡°This¡­this is so much.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve taken my monthly salary back home separately. These were given to me by Madam during my last two visits, and the children were also given some items.¡±


    ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll hold it for you. Remember not to tell your husband about this, nor anyone else. Since you¡¯ve decided, don¡¯t think too much about it.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mother. I have to return home swiftly as I can¡¯t linger here too long after noon. Take care of yourself,¡± Mrs. Li reassured.


    ¡°Alright, it eases my worries to see you come home. Knowing you¡¯re doing well is enough for me. Go back now!¡±


    Mrs. Li spoke a few more words of concern for her mother¡¯s health, inquired about her brother and older brother¡¯s life, then left the room with her mother.


    The children were savoring their treats, each nibbling on a piece of pastry slowly, treasuring each bite¡ªa poignant testament to their sensible nature.


    ¡°Auntie, come visit us more often¡­¡±


    Grandma Qi and the children saw Mrs. Li off as she stepped onto the carriage, standing and waving as the carriage departed¡­


    ¡°Mrs. Qi, the person you just saw off was¡­¡±


    The neighbor Granny next door, with her fading eyesight, looked into the distance. In their village, even the arrival of a plain carriage was a curiosity, as they only had ox carts, and the families who had ox carts for business were the substantial ones.


    ¡°Third Granny, that was the carriage taking my auntie back home. My Second Miss went to work in a wealthy family in the county and came back to visit today,¡± one of the children announced eagerly.


    ¡°Oh, impressive indeed! No wonder she looked familiar to me, dressed so richly. Truly, one is unrecognizable even after a short absence!¡±


    ¡°Haha¡±


    ¡°Third Sister-in-law, I never realized you had such a way with words. We farmers may be poor, but we are free. Working for a wealthy family isn¡¯t so easy!¡±


    Grandma Qi felt a pang of pain for her daughter and grandchild in her heart, sighing to herself. She had once set her hopes on that family, thinking that having a skill would ensure her daughter a better life. Alas¡­ she had misjudged the person.


    Mrs. Li gave the money she brought with her to her mother for safekeeping. With this bit of money, she felt somewhat relieved. As the carriage neared her home, she peered through the carriage window at the familiar village that no longer felt familiar after many years.


    The village had a small population; every household could build a large courtyard for a house, provided they were willing to clear the land; as long as they had the ability, they would never starve.


    In the village, where the population was sparse but land abundant, most of the fertile fields were owned by rich men. Only somewhat better-off families would have one to two acres of land, like their family with two acres¡ªrest was arid land meant for clearing.


    Those who were poorer could only rent land from the rich men to cultivate or clear some arid land for planting.


    Approaching her home, their courtyard gate was closed tight, with Mrs. Lai¡¯s nagging voice coming from within: ¡°Hongji, as a father, why do you keep wandering into the room? Concentrate on making furniture. You should be as diligent as your father and make more furniture.¡±


    ¡°Yes, big brother, hurry up and finish the furniture with father. You even said you would make a dowry for me.¡±


    ¡°Mother, with the young children in the room, I need to check on them regularly to be at ease. If you and sister don¡¯t care for them at all, how can I focus on making furniture?¡±


    Hongji had grown accustomed to feeling a sense of responsibility since Mrs. Li started working outside and he had to play both the roles of father and mother. No matter what his parents or sisters said, he was determined to take good care of the child.


    Mrs. Li¡¯s biggest worry had been that the child wouldn¡¯t be well cared for at home, but when she heard her husband¡¯s words, tears swirled in her eyes. It was difficult to get by in this family, but at least she had a supportive husband.


    She pushed open the courtyard gate but didn¡¯t immediately close it, instead allowing the driver to bring the carriage inside.


    ¡°Father, Mother, husband,¡± she greeted.


    Hongji, who had been working on the thatched cottages in the courtyard, and his father turned their gaze toward the entrance of the courtyard. The sight of Second Miss and Third Miss, who had seen from the window, running out greeted them.


    Mrs. Lai made her way over, running through the courtyard and starting to chatter as she approached:


    ¡°Mrs. Li, you¡¯re back just in time. There are clothes to wash, and lunch to prepare; I¡¯ve been rushed off my feet while you¡¯ve been away. Did you get your monthly salary? You¡¯ll need to hand it over.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Li, what¡¯s in the bundle? Is it something nice from the wealthy family you¡¯ve been working for?¡± Third Miss also ran out to inquire.


    ¡°Mrs. Li, I¡¯m in need of some items for my dowry; let me see if there¡¯s anything good,¡± Second Miss also joined in, rushing out with her mother and younger sister to snatch the bundle from Mrs. Li.


    ¡°Mother, here¡¯s the monthly salary, and as for the nice things Second Sister and Third Sister mentioned, there aren¡¯t any. All these are gifts from Madam for the daughter-in-law, for making clothes and shoes for the children.¡±


    Mrs. Li wasn¡¯t so foolish as to just stand there. She tossed the two taels of monthly wages to Mrs. Lai and ran away when Second Miss and Third Miss tried to grab her bag.


    Their family¡¯s courtyard was quite spacious, and these two sisters, who usually did little work at home, weren¡¯t as nimble as Mrs. Li. They couldn¡¯t catch up to her in that moment.


    Over the past month, Mrs. Li had eaten well while in the service of the wealthy family, had little to do in the way of strenuous activity, and although carrying a child of over two years was quite a task, it was clear she wasn¡¯t to be outdone by two indolent sisters.


    ¡°Mrs. Li, don¡¯t run. You¡¯ve got some nerve!¡±


    ¡°Stop¡­ believe me or not, I¡¯ll hit you!¡±


    Third Miss and Second Miss, with sweat on their foreheads and gasping for breath, could not catch up to Mrs. Li and resorted to shouting and screaming.


    ¡°What is¡­¡± The driver got down from the carriage and saw the scene. It wasn¡¯t appropriate for him to address the women, so he spoke to Hongji and his father.


    ¡°What is all this noise about?¡± Hongji¡¯s father, who was used to such scenes, really didn¡¯t think about the presence of outsiders for a moment until he intervened to stop his daughters.


    ¡°What are you staring at? Haven¡¯t you ever seen guests before?¡±


    Mrs. Lai had initially wanted to snatch the money as well, but upon receiving the two taels of silver, she pocketed it, glanced outside the courtyard, saw people looking in, and hurried to close the gate.


    Mrs. Lai, though fiery by nature, was also concerned about her two unmarried daughters. One was engaged, and she feared a damaged reputation could lead to the engagement being broken off.


    The other was yet to be betrothed, and she had hopes of marrying her youngest into a wealthy household.


    Chastised by their father, Second Miss and Third Miss stopped in their tracks and stamped their feet on the spot.


    Hongji sternly observed Mrs. Li, who had been away for a month. Seeing that she looked fairer and plumper with bright eyes, he felt a man¡¯s desire, thinking about holding his wife in his arms to sleep that night.


    ¡°Hehe, my apologies for the scene. Please, come have some tea,¡±


    Hongji¡¯s father put on a smile, stopped his work to wash his hands, and invited the driver to the table on the side of the thatched shelter to drink tea. The autumn wind brought a slight chill, and sitting in the courtyard to enjoy the cool air and entertain guests was quite pleasant. When the weather turned cold, they would draw the curtains to block the chill.

 Chapter 15 - Chapter 15: Chapter 15 Loose-lipped

    Chapter 15: Chapter 15 Loose-lipped


    Mrs. Li, when Hongji gazed at her intently, saw a burning look in her husband¡¯s eyes. Faced with choosing between her husband and her children, she was more concerned about the newborn and the very young ones.


    Seizing this favorable opportunity, Mrs. Li quickly walked towards her own room. The door of her room was not closed, and Siwa, who was almost two years old, stood at the doorway, stretching out his arms and shouting loudly, ¡°Mom, Mom¡¯s back! Mom, hold me, waaa.¡±


    Mrs. Li went over and picked up Siwa, kissed him on the face, and wiped away his tears as she asked, ¡°Has Siwa been good?¡±


    ¡°Siwa has been good. Siwa takes care of his little sister every day.¡±


    ¡°Good, Siwa is really good!¡±


    ¡°Hee hee hee,¡± Siwa, delighted by his mother¡¯s praise, smiled with tears still on his face, his innocent smile melting Mrs. Li¡¯s heart.


    Holding Siwa, Mrs. Li walked towards the bed, where the baby who had been lying flat in the bed, had turned over to look towards the door, smiling at the entering Siwa and Mrs. Li.


    ¡°Wuwa, Wuwa, hehe.¡±


    ¡°Wuwa, you can turn over now!¡± Mrs. Li exclaimed in surprise, watching her youngest daughter. The other children only started to turn over and babble after two or more months, or around three months.


    Hongji saw his wife enter the room, so he followed her inside. It had been a month since he last saw his wife, and he wanted to talk to her about the hardships of the month, as he also missed her.


    ¡°Our Wuwa is the cleverest. She¡¯s been able to roll over for several days now. This past month when you weren¡¯t home, she could only drink rice soup. At night, she wakes me up to pee. I always feed her.¡±


    Mrs. Li put down Siwa and picked up Wuwa, who was smiling at her, and kissed her on the face, looking carefully at Wuwa. The smallest of her daughters was the one she was most worried about. The other daughters could eat other foods, but the little one could only have rice soup.


    She picked up her little daughter, noting her light body but rosy cheeks. Her daughter¡¯s rosy complexion eased some of her worries. Unlike her four elder sisters, she didn¡¯t have a skinny, yellowed face or dry, yellow hair.


    Only over two months old, her cheeks were rosy, and her hair black. Perhaps her husband had not cut the child¡¯s hair, as it was already long enough to tie up.


    ¡°Little daughter, and the other children at home, nothing happened to them this month, right?¡±


    ¡°The little daughter was all right. One day when it rained, the three older ones got wet and developed a fever at midnight. I panicked and didn¡¯t know what to do, so I could only go to the kitchen to boil some hot water for them to drink. Then I came back to find they no longer had a fever. I tried to wake them to drink water, but when the three children got up, they said I had already given them water. It was so strange.¡±


    ¡°What? The three older children? While I wasn¡¯t home, surely the outside farm work wasn¡¯t all left to those three little girls, was it?¡± Mrs. Li had suspected as much but couldn¡¯t believe that her family would be so cruel. The eldest was only eight years old.


    In Mrs. Li¡¯s arms, Tang Shiqi blinked her eyes. The three sisters had been humming with fever all night long, and their father, who had been sleeping soundly, later woke up and ran out. She could only use her hand to drip water from the Spiritual Spring in the space onto her sisters¡¯ mouths.


    In this era, it surely must have been difficult to call a doctor, and there were no specific medicines. She didn¡¯t want her three lovely sisters to suffer from fever-induced delirium. It was quite frustrating to have been transmigrated into this backward time in the book.


    ¡°My wife, you know, I have to do carpentry, and I try to help with the work at home as much as I can. I also have to take care of the two younger children. If I go outside to do outdoor work, my parents will scold me, saying there¡¯s no one to look after the two little ones at home.¡±


    Hongji scratched his head, looking embarrassed. Having to play the role of both father and mother was indeed tough, especially since the family didn¡¯t help, leaving him feeling oppressed as a man.


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯ve had a hard time,¡± Mrs. Li said, knowing that her husband was caught in a difficult position, like a sandwich cookie. He had managed to take care of the two little ones, so the only blame lay with the family, which was too heartless.


    ¡°Wife, I don¡¯t want to make things difficult for you. It must have been tough working at the wealthy family¡¯s house, no one scolded you, right?¡± Hongji, this brute of a man, only now considered that it wasn¡¯t easy for his wife to work as a housekeeper outside.


    ¡°It was bearable. Mainly, I was worried about the children at home. This time, Madam of the household where I worked as a housekeeper gave the children a little something, and I made some clothes and shoes for the children with some other fabric.¡±


    Mrs. Li sat down and untied her bundle, from which she took out several comic books, some children¡¯s toys, and a few pieces of clothing and shoes for the dolls.


    Hongji grinned foolishly and nodded. Seeing that there were no items for him, no shoes or clothes inside the bundle, he understood that Mrs. Li didn¡¯t get much from the other family, and it was already good that she could make something for the children.


    ¡°Wow, there¡¯s so much. Were the comic books and toys also given by Madam?¡±


    ¡°Husband, when I was in Young Master¡¯s room at the house I serve, the children there, even those only one or two years old, could look at these comic books to recognize words and learn. It made me think that our girls at home shouldn¡¯t grow up knowing nothing either.


    I asked the housekeeper to help me buy two comic books. The housekeeper bought the comic books and even toys for me, and he did not take my money. He just gave them for the children at home.¡±


    As Mrs. Li was talking to Hongji, she did not pay attention to the direction of the door. Her room had always been off-limits to other family members. Since she had given birth, no one had ever entered, so she wasn¡¯t prepared for any family member to come in at this time.


    Mrs. Li was completely unaware of other people¡¯s intentions. No one entered her room because there was nothing of value. However, this moment was different; she had not opened the bundle yet.


    Mrs. Lai and Second Miss, Third Miss had been listening at the wall in the next room. Hearing about the items, Mrs. Lai, with her plump body, charged into the room, her beady eyes bulging as she scolded:


    ¡°Look at you, Mrs. Li. You go to work at a wealthy household and even seduce the housekeeper. Where in the world do such good fortunes like a free lunch fall from the sky? I will confiscate these two comic books and the toys. We can¡¯t leave the housekeeper¡¯s things here.¡±


    ¡°Mother-in-law, these are books I asked someone to buy for the children to read. Don¡¯t slander me. You can mistreat me, but don¡¯t talk nonsense. The Tang Mansion¡¯s housekeeper is not someone you can malign. If you get reported to the government, don¡¯t blame your daughter-in-law for bringing you trouble.¡±


    ¡°Mother, how can you talk nonsense like this?¡± Hongji chided her as he looked at his mother.


    ¡°What did I say, huh? If you, Mrs. Li, don¡¯t tell the housekeeper, how would he know to report me? Is the government their family¡¯s to command? Humph!¡±


    ¡°Mother, surely you aren¡¯t unaware that there¡¯s a driver in the yard, right?¡± Mrs. Li¡¯s character was very meek, but at that moment, she was rather stubborn.


    ¡°Let me see these items. This fabric is quite nice. This handkerchief suits me.¡± Third Miss walked in and compared the children¡¯s clothes to her size, finding that even the largest piece didn¡¯t fit her, so she could only snatch from the smaller items.


    ¡°This hair accessory is pretty. It¡¯ll be perfect for me to wear when I become a bride.¡± Second Miss truly fancied the headdress flower.


    ¡°Second Sister, I want one too¡­¡± The two sisters grabbed the headdress flower and ran out, afraid that Mrs. Li would take it back.


    Mrs. Li couldn¡¯t believe her family members could be so shameless. Usually, when she was close to death giving birth, no one came to see her, but now they were snatching things meant for the children.


    What she cared about most was the comic book in Mrs. Lai¡¯s hand. The toys could be taken away; the youngest two could also play with them. Her children hadn¡¯t had toys for years; they didn¡¯t necessarily need them.


    Comic books could help them recognize words and learn, which was what she, as a mother, cared about most at the moment.

 Chapter 16 - Chapter 16: Chapter 16 The Farce Stops

    Chapter 16: Chapter 16 The Farce Stops


    ¡°Mother, you can¡¯t take everything. Leave these two books behind, or I won¡¯t work as a housekeeper anymore.¡±


    Mrs. Li had grown a bit bolder this month. She had devised a way to deal with Mrs. Lai, her mother-in-law, by targeting what mattered to her.


    ¡°Oh, Mrs. Li, you¡¯ve learned to make threats after a month away? Not only have you been seducing other men outside, but you also dare to commit such outrageous acts. Aren¡¯t you afraid of being drowned in a pig cage?¡±


    How could Mrs. Lai¡¯s years of domineering as a mother-in-law compromise with Mrs. Li¡¯s threatening words? She responded with rage and cursing.


    ¡°Mother, how can you speak like that? When you speak about your daughter-in-law like this, where does it leave the face of your son?¡± During the scuffle between Mrs. Lai and his sister for possessions, Hongji thought that it was only fair for a family to share a few items, considering the children still had clothes and shoes.


    He didn¡¯t understand why Mrs. Li cared so much about those two books but knew that Mrs. Lai¡¯s scolding of Mrs. Li was indirectly scolding himself as well.


    Only a useless man would make his wife fancy someone else. Moreover, this matter might just be a fabrication by his mother.


    ¡°Son, I¡¯m doing this for your own good. I¡¯m disciplining your wife. If I don¡¯t keep her in line, she will surely rebel. She was out at a wealthy family¡¯s house for a month and even received gifts from someone.¡±


    Mrs. Lai felt her dignity challenged as Mrs. Li had learned to resist, which was a direct challenge to her authority.


    ¡°Mother, if you truly want what¡¯s best for your son, then please don¡¯t say those things. The walls have ears. If word gets out, I can¡¯t hold my head high outside. If you think my wife behaves improperly outside, then don¡¯t let her work as a housekeeper. It¡¯s easier for me if she stays at home.¡±


    In the past month, acting as both father and mother, Hongji had fully realized Mrs. Li¡¯s difficulties. For a strong man like him, maintaining the household was no easy feat; it was uncomfortable living like a monk in his prime.


    ¡°Son, you¡¯re being foolish. What about the two taels of silver? Mrs. Li can¡¯t make money if she stays at home. If she doesn¡¯t work as a housekeeper, what will her children eat?¡±


    Mrs. Lai was not only angry but also resentful towards Hongji for siding with his wife, perceiving it as the adage of choosing his wife over his mother.


    Seizing the moment, Hongji snatched the two books Mrs. Li cared about from Mrs. Lai¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Mother, leave the books and please step out. I need to speak privately with my wife.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Mrs. Lai stared angrily at the two books in her son¡¯s hands and glanced at the children¡¯s clothes on the bed. Her eyes darted around, and she rushed to grab the clothes laid on the bed, thinking of keeping these fine items for future gifts.


    Mrs. Li, now holding the two books, smiled at her husband. She knew Mrs. Lai¡¯s aggressive meddler personality wouldn¡¯t let the matter rest and watched her movements vigilantly.


    She grabbed the handmade children¡¯s clothes before Mrs. Lai could take them.


    ¡°Mrs. Lai, give me the items, hurry up¡­¡± Mrs. Lai, clutching her coat with one hand to protect the toys inside, pointed accusingly at Mrs. Li with the other.


    ¡°Mother, our children have never had new clothes before. These are the clothes I made for them, gifted by the Madam. I can¡¯t let you take them away to give to someone else.¡±


    Tears welled up in Mrs. Li¡¯s eyes, filled with sorrow. Making clothes for the children had almost gotten her punished, and she had struggled through many nights sewing under a lamplight.


    ¡°Mother¡­, do you really want to take the clothes I made for our children and give them to someone else? Am I still your son?¡±


    Seeing Mrs. Li cry, whom he hadn¡¯t seen for a month, and having taken on both parental roles, Hongji felt deeply that daughters were as precious as sons.


    ¡°Who said I was going to give them to someone else? Don¡¯t spout nonsense. I¡¯m their grandmother; how could I possibly give their clothes away? I only want to keep the clothes safe. The children don¡¯t know any better and might tear or dirty them.¡±


    Mrs. Lai, under Hongji¡¯s accusing gaze, did not admit to her intentions. She had been bullying Mrs. Li because of her son¡¯s filial piety. Over the years, she had relied on her son¡¯s devotion to continually torment Mrs. Li and her children. But Hongji was her own son; what if he became disobedient in the future?


    ¡°Mother, the children are so well-behaved; they won¡¯t dirty their clothes,¡± Hongji assured his mother as he patted his chest, seeing her unwillingness to give back the children¡¯s clothes.


    Mrs. Lai had nothing to say at that moment, her anger not subsided. Her sharp, triangular eyes glared at Mrs. Li. Now that her son was protecting her, she hadn¡¯t been able to do anything to her. But once she went back to work, would she not be able to bully Mrs. Li¡¯s children?


    Mrs. Li, just wait, this isn¡¯t over yet.


    As Mrs. Lai left the room, the drama came to a halt.


    Mrs. Li packed the children¡¯s clothes and shoes properly and glanced around the simple room, finding no place suitable for hiding anything.


    Her mother-in-law had once rummaged through her dowry chest, taking the only silver bracelet made for her by her mother, which she hadn¡¯t been able to retrieve.


    Finally, she settled her gaze on where Wuwa slept. She could use the bundle as a pillow for the baby. The mother-in-law, who never held the baby, surely wouldn¡¯t have thought of it, as the clothes and shoes she made were all made of soft cloth.


    Mrs. Li really wanted to hold Wuwa longer but couldn¡¯t stay too long. She wanted to go to the fields to pick up the children.


    With that thought, Mrs. Li closed the room door.


    She took off her good clothes and changed into an old outfit, topping it off with a tattered hat.


    ¡°Wife, where are you going?¡± Hongji¡¯s gaze was intense as he watched his wife change clothes, swallowing a few times; his heart warmed, longing to hold his wife and keep his eyes fixed on Mrs. Li.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to check on Daya and the others outside,¡± Mrs. Li wasn¡¯t unaware of Hongji¡¯s intense gaze. With so little time, she couldn¡¯t afford to indulge in romance, especially since it was broad daylight; she had to avoid her husband¡¯s gaze and headed out with her head lowered.


    ¡°Uh, alright then!¡± Hongji had no choice but to hold back, rubbing his hands together tightly.


    ¡°Husband, the Madam said I need to be back by the afternoon; I must hurry to see the children,¡± Mrs. Li said, then opened the door and walked out.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Hongji watched his wife¡¯s departing figure in bewilderment, his heart aching at the thought of holding his wife at night.


    ¡°Hongji, why are you still inside? Come out and get to work,¡± Hongji¡¯s father called out while entertaining the driver with tea. The noisy chatter inside the house made him blush and turn pale in front of a guest.


    The driver seemed indifferent to the noisy quarrels of the family, showing no reaction on his face.


    Feeling that the break was long enough with so much work to do, Hongji¡¯s father urgently called for Hongji to come out and work.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m coming,¡± Hongji called out loudly to the outside and then told Siwa, ¡°Take good care of your sister.¡±


    ¡°Dad, Siwa knows,¡± said four-year-old Siwa, who was almost two and strong enough to lift her sister.


    Tang Shiqi stared with her round, round eyes, always watching the drama; of course, she knew, having read this book before.


    Having transmigrated into this baby girl¡¯s body from the book, this family¡¯s surname was not Tang but Ye. The elder sisters, being girls, hadn¡¯t attracted the grandparents¡¯ attention and had not been officially named yet.

 Chapter 17 - Chapter 17: Chapter 17 Grandma, Dont Kill Siwa

    Chapter 17: Chapter 17 Grandma, Don¡¯t Kill Siwa


    ¡°`


    No matter how reluctant she was, she could only take the last name Ye, not Tang; at this moment, she was still Wuwa, and her surname couldn¡¯t be changed. So, she decided to use the name Shiqi from now on¡ªYe Shiqi.


    She blinked her eyes, feeling that her grandmother wouldn¡¯t just give up like that and would come back to search for things. With a thought, she took the bundle into her space.


    Currently, her space only contained soil and the Spiritual Spring. In order to store things in her space, she could only spread the old mosquito net her parents had intended for diapers, which hadn¡¯t been washed clean, on the ground of her space.


    Ye Shiqi felt that her space grew as she aged, from two cubic meters to six cubic meters. It might not be as large as the bathroom in her previous room, but it could hold important items.


    While the space could be used to grow items, she didn¡¯t have any seeds. Besides, feeling that she was too young, even if she grew crops in the space, she wouldn¡¯t be able to take them out. If her space were exposed, it would be a big trouble.


    Siwa kept staring at his younger sister, blinking and feeling that something was off, as if something was missing, but the little child didn¡¯t think too much about it at the moment.


    ¡°Sister, it¡¯s so good that mom is back. Now you¡¯ll have milk to drink.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Ye Shiqi helplessly sighed in her heart. Just now, Mrs. Li had returned, and after another drama, although she held her, she didn¡¯t feed her. Her soul was that of an adult, but her body was that of an infant, and she couldn¡¯t resist the craving for milk.


    Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t speak to remind Mrs. Li, nor could she expose Mrs. Li¡¯s breast in front of their father¡­sigh.


    At this moment, a figure sneaked into the room, light on her feet and looking left and right upon entering. Ye Shiqi saw that it was Mrs. Lai.


    Siwa, with his back to the door, didn¡¯t see Mrs. Lai. It was only when Mrs. Lai began rummaging through the room that he suddenly became tremulously frightened and called out, ¡°Granny, father¡­ Granny¡¯s rummaging through things.¡±


    Mrs. Lai hadn¡¯t expected Siwa to be vigilant. To her, the four weak girls and one baby who couldn¡¯t speak were no threat to her. She didn¡¯t expect Siwa to shout.


    The shout from Siwa startled Mrs. Lai, a guilty reaction that caused her hands, ruffling through the wooden chest, to pause. Her plump body rushed over, threatening fiercely, ¡°Keep screaming like that and see if I don¡¯t beat you to ¡®melon¡¯.¡±


    When Siwa heard Mrs. Lai talking about beating her to ¡®melon,¡¯ didn¡¯t that mean she wanted to beat her to death?


    Fear made her tremble even more. She looked at her grandmother with her eyes and hugged her sister tightly, ¡°Granny, please don¡¯t beat Siwa to death.¡±


    ¡°You¡­you¡¯re such a loss, tell Granny quickly where your mother put the things?¡±


    Mrs. Lai had just checked the wooden chest and hadn¡¯t seen anything. Her gaze now wandered over the bed. In this simple room, there was really nowhere to hide things. She peeked under the bed and saw only a chamber pot and some stinky rotten shoes.


    Mrs. Lai was perplexed. She didn¡¯t see Mrs. Li take things away; where could they be hidden?


    Could there be a hole in the ground? Mrs. Lai tried stomping on the floor, carefully searching throughout the room.


    ¡°Mom, what are you doing?¡± Hongji was working outside with his father, making furniture¡ªknocking and hammering, the sounds echoing as tools shaped the wood.


    The loud scream from Siwa, begging grandmother not to beat Siwa to death, had startled Hongji. Dropping his tools, he quickly ran back to the room.


    ¡°Hongji, what are you doing? You barely worked for a while and now you¡¯re running back to the room again?¡± Hongji¡¯s father was a bit older and perhaps hard of hearing; he didn¡¯t hear Siwa¡¯s voice and reprimanded his son who had just started working.


    Hongji didn¡¯t care about his father¡¯s scolding. The children held a place in his heart that couldn¡¯t be shaken by just a few words of reproach, and at the doorway, he saw his mother searching for something in the room.


    ¡°`


    Siwa clutched his frightened sister, and Hongji suddenly couldn¡¯t fathom what his mother was searching for.


    ¡°Hongji, I just came in to have a look, the floor of this room is very firm. Why aren¡¯t you out working, and why have you come back instead? No wonder your father scolds people.¡±


    Mrs. Lai dared not mention the search for something in her son¡¯s presence, fearing it would alienate him. Though she always cared much for her daughter, she knew she had to rely on her son to look after herself when she was old.


    ¡°Siwa is still young, don¡¯t scare her by coming in, Mother. It¡¯s also getting close to time to cook, shouldn¡¯t you start cooking?¡±


    ¡°Hongji, I¡¯ve been the one cooking for the past month. Mrs. Li should cook now that she¡¯s back. Don¡¯t think just because she enjoyed herself at her main family¡¯s house, she can come back and do nothing.¡±


    ¡°Mother, Mrs. Li said she¡¯s going back to the county soon, and she¡¯s now on her way to pick up the children.¡± Hongji helplessly wiped the sweat off his face. He used to rely on his wife like everyone else at home did, and now it was the same. He felt a little sorry for her.


    ¡°I have been taking care of all of you for a month, and Mrs. Li is just going to leave when she¡¯s back. Didn¡¯t she say she could have a day off?¡±


    Unable to find what she was searching for, Mrs. Lai felt increasingly irritable. She had thought she wouldn¡¯t have to do any chores today as soon as she saw Mrs. Li, and resentment bubbled up inside her.


    ¡°Mother, look how hard it is for your son. Maybe my wife doesn¡¯t need to work as a housekeeper anymore?¡±


    ¡°No way, what about the two taels of silver? You and your son could only make that much money from a month¡¯s carpentry work. Doesn¡¯t our household have expenses? The grain from that tiny plot of land isn¡¯t enough. Neither Second Miss nor Third Miss have any money saved for their dowries. We can¡¯t spend my funeral savings.¡±


    The thought of losing that income of two taels of silver caused Mrs. Lai so much pain, she kept on trying to dissuade her son from the idea.


    ¡°Mother, go cook. Don¡¯t stay here and frighten Siwa and Wuwa.¡±


    Hongji came to realize that he couldn¡¯t count on Mrs. Lai to take care of the children, and if she didn¡¯t scare them, it would already be a blessing.


    ¡°Humph, once you¡¯ve got a wife, you forget your mother, such a spineless thing. Always expecting your old mother to cook.¡± Mrs. Lai, with her plump body, was pulled out by her son. She looked at the kitchen with reluctance to go in, her eyes wandering until she spotted Second Miss and Third Miss trying on flowers with a small copper mirror by the window.


    ¡°Er Niu, San Niu, come out here for your mother.¡±


    ¡°Mother, I have a name. Calling me Er Niu sounds so unpleasant!¡± Ye Shuzhi didn¡¯t put down the copper mirror in her hands, finding the flower adorning her to be quite beautiful.


    ¡°Yes indeed! Even I have a name. I don¡¯t want to end up like Big Brother¡¯s kids, Daya, always being called without a proper name.¡± Ye Shuzhen said proudly, her gestures as flamboyant as her elder sister¡¯s.


    ¡°You¡­ well, fine then. Your brother is defiant, and you too don¡¯t listen to your mother. Why is my life filled with such hardships? Boo hoo!¡±


    Mrs. Lai covered her face with her hand and started rolling on the ground as if in agony. This was actually her plan to avoid cooking. When she caught the eye of the driver sitting on a bench beside the thatched pavilion, she noticed he was watching her.


    The driver felt this family really knew how to put on a show. Today, he got to watch another play for free. It was a pity he couldn¡¯t write a script, otherwise, it could have made a great play.


    A wicked mother-in-law maltreating her daughter-in-law, beating the small children in the household, and spoiling her own daughters.


    ¡°There you go again, Mother. We both took jobs washing clothes. The kitchen is too dirty, I¡¯m not going in,¡± said Ye Shuzhen after giving her mother a glance. The sisters exchanged looks, knowing well to use such tactics against them. They weren¡¯t their sister-in-law, and they certainly weren¡¯t falling for that trap.


    Ye Shuzhi nodded along on the side. The sisters helped each other put on flowers, ignoring Mrs. Lai who was fake crying outside.

 Chapter 18 - Chapter 18: Chapter 18 Mothers Heart

    Chapter 18: Chapter 18 Mother¡¯s Heart


    ¡°Why must I suffer such a hard life? I give birth to you worthless things, only to end up having to cook for you at my old age.¡±


    Madam Lai was so angered by her own daughters that real tears sprang from her eyes, and she sniffled as she spoke.


    Ye Shiqi heard the noisy quarrel outside but couldn¡¯t go out to watch the drama; Siwa, that honest child, stayed by her side, not daring to venture out¡ªundoubtedly terrified by Mrs. Lai¡¯s usually fierce demeanor.


    She could only turn over in bed, yet couldn¡¯t sit up, feeling as if her body was too small, she yearned to grow up quickly.


    ¡­


    Mrs. Li went to pick up her children and saw them returning from the mountain. Daya was carrying two bundles of firewood, while the two smaller children were clutching the firewood they had gathered.


    ¡°Daya¡­ my children¡­¡±


    ¡°Mother, it¡¯s Mother who has returned.¡± Daya quickened her pace, and the two smaller ones hurried along, nearly stumbling and falling.


    Mrs. Li, with tears brimming in her eyes, threw down her bundle of firewood to embrace her children. Their hair was dry and yellow, their faces gaunt and sallow, skinnier than before she left. Holding her emaciated children, her heart ached, and she wept with them.


    ¡°Mother, you won¡¯t leave again, will you?¡± Sanya, with her little four-year-old face, looked up with hope.


    ¡°Mother doesn¡¯t want to leave either, but I have to go out to work as a housekeeper, so I must leave. This time, Mother has brought you some nice things, including pretty clothes and shoes, oh.¡±


    ¡°Ohh!¡± Daya and her sister cried and laughed at the same time, delighted to hear about the clothes and shoes.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s head home.¡± Mrs. Li tied the children¡¯s firewood to Daya¡¯s bundle, picked it up herself, and walked home with the children. Along the way, the villagers they encountered merely nodded at them.


    The villagers were very curious about Mrs. Li¡¯s work in a wealthy household, and some elder women walked with her, bombarding her with questions.


    Mrs. Li answered only with simple phrases, not uttering a word about anything she shouldn¡¯t speak of.


    When they arrived home, they discovered that besides their own carriage, there was also another horse in the courtyard.


    By the thatched pavilion where tea was served, in addition to the driver, there was also a new house servant.


    Upon seeing Mrs. Li enter, the house servant politely greeted her with a bow, ¡°Mrs. Li, I am a house servant sent by the housekeeper from Tang Mansion. The Young Master woke up crying, refused breakfast, and later started showing signs of fever.¡±


    ¡°What? He was fine when I left; how could he have developed a fever? Has the doctor been called?¡± Mrs. Li was alarmed. The Young Master was very attached to her, and she surmised that he must have woken up crying and fussing for her. Perhaps his craving for milk had returned, making him sick.


    ¡°I heard from the housekeeper that a doctor has been summoned, and Madam ordered me to come and get you to return quickly,¡± the house servant said.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll just change my clothes and then I¡¯ll head back,¡± said Mrs. Li, and after washing her hands she went into her room followed by the patter of her children to close the door and change into the clothes she came in.


    ¡°Mother, why are you leaving again so soon?¡± Daya and her sisters crowded around Mrs. Li.


    Ye Shiqi blinked and, using her thoughts, materialized the bundle from the space in her hands, fondling the fabric and murmuring ¡°to follow rules.¡±


    Mrs. Li paused her dressing and said to her children, ¡°Mother must go to work; there¡¯s no other choice. In the bundle Wuwa is holding, there are clothes and shoes I made for you. Behave yourselves at home, okay?¡±


    ¡°Clothes and shoes¡­¡± Daya took the bundle from Wuwa¡¯s hands, unfolded it, and saw exquisite clothes made of fabric they had never seen before. She distributed the clothes to her sisters and ensured everyone received their share.


    ¡°Hehe, so pretty.¡± Er Ya shed her dirty clothes and donned the beautiful new ones. She tried on the shoes but didn¡¯t want to wear them out of reluctance.


    Except for Wuwa, who hadn¡¯t put on his new clothes, all four elder sisters were wearing theirs. Siwa could dress herself now, and they happily hugged their shoes, jumping around, completely forgetting the displeasure of their mother having to go to work.


    Ye Shiqi lay there sympathizing deeply with her elder sisters. These children were so pitiful, a new set of clothes and shoes, and they had forgotten about their mother.


    After changing her clothes, Mrs. Li hugged the children briefly, picked up Wuwa and kissed him, and said, whether he understood or not, ¡°Wuwa, be good at home, okay?¡±


    Ye Shiqi stared with her big innocent eyes, unsure whether to shake her head or nod in agreement.


    Her mother returned and didn¡¯t feed her, not even while holding her, how heartbreaking! Her mother¡¯s affection had moved on to the young master of the main house.


    When Mrs. Li was ready to leave, the children clung to her legs, unwilling to let go as they cried, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t go¡­¡±


    ¡°Be good! Listen¡­¡± Mrs. Li¡¯s reluctance caused tears to stream down her face, and she had no choice but to forcefully break away from the children¡¯s grasp and step out of the room, opening the door.


    The children hugged Wuwa at the doorway, watching Mrs. Li mount the horse carriage.


    ¡°Wife, take care¡­¡± Hongji¡¯s father¡¯s reluctance was evident in his eyes.


    ¡°Husband, take good care of the children. I will be back next month.¡± Mrs. Li said, her eyes filled with tears. She got into the carriage and sat down. After she was settled, the driver started the carriage and rode away, followed by the horse servant.


    Mrs. Lai, who had been eagerly awaiting her daughter and Mrs. Li to cook, cursed bitterly after they left, ¡°Housekeeper, always the housekeeper. Mrs. Li must be having an affair with that housekeeper, hmph¡­¡±


    When Hongji heard Mrs. Lai defame Mrs. Li like this, afraid that her mad ramblings would be heard by the villagers and tarnish his wife¡¯s reputation, he quickly shut the gate and stared sternly at Mrs. Lai:


    ¡°Mother, you can eat anything, but words must not be carelessly spoken. How am I to preserve my dignity if you talk like this?¡±


    ¡°Hmph¡­¡± Mrs. Lai was reprimanded by her son, and seeing the children at the doorway dressed in new clothes, her eyes flared with fury. She¡¯d searched for the clothes earlier and couldn¡¯t find them, thinking it was a waste of good clothing.


    ¡°Take off those clothes, you dirty no-accounts. You¡¯ve dirtied such beautiful attire!¡± Mrs. Lai said as she made her way toward them, her plump body trying to run.


    Daya and the children cleverly ran into the room, bolting the door from the inside.


    Upon hearing the door closing, Mrs. Lai reached the door and kicked it furiously: ¡°Bang, bang, bang, damn good-for-nothings.¡±


    ¡°Mother, what is it now?¡± Hongji came again to stop her.


    ¡°I must scold them. They¡¯re wearing such fine clothes when it¡¯s not even a holiday or festival, these wasteful things.¡±


    ¡°Mother, my wife made those clothes for the children, just to have them try them on, and besides, those are their clothes; they look so sprightly wearing them.¡±


    ¡°Hmph¡­¡± Mrs. Lai stopped kicking the door, yet she felt some discontent.


    ¡°Hongji¡¯s mother, aren¡¯t you cooking yet?¡± Hongji¡¯s father, who had been silent, glanced at Mrs. Lai. He was used to her nagging and complaining and knew her thoughts, but he didn¡¯t want to upset his son.


    Grumbling and cursing as she went to cook, Mrs. Lai said, ¡°I cook and serve you ingrates, yet you don¡¯t come out to help with the fire.¡±


    In the room, Daya and the children quickly changed out of their new clothes and neatly folded them, placing the clothes and shoes inside a bundle. Heeding Siwa¡¯s advice, they handed the bundle to Wuwa.


    ¡°Big sister, Second Sister, Third Sister, grandmother only came into the room looking for these, but she didn¡¯t find them,¡± said Siwa.


    Siwa¡¯s words made Daya, Er Ya, and Sanya all laugh.


    ¡°Little sister, guard them well. We can¡¯t let grandmother take away our clothes and shoes,¡± Sanya said, causing laughter among the elder sisters.


    Listening to her sisters, Ye Shiqi blinked. They trusted her so much? She was just a little baby over two months old, but all right then!

 Chapter 19 - Chapter 19: Chapter 19 Being Framed

    Chapter 19: Chapter 19 Being Framed


    After Mrs. Li went away to visit relatives, Daya could only continue to work hard with her two younger sisters.


    The rice in the fields began to bloom, attracting insects and rats; they couldn¡¯t bring in the water during the day, and could only do so at night.


    Hongji of course couldn¡¯t let the children stay in the fields at night. After eating dinner, he would go to the fields to channel water from the ditches into the fields.


    Mrs. Lai had once gone through their clothes and shoes when the three oldest children were not around, but she found nothing.


    The first time she searched, she wanted to hit Siwa. Siwa dared neither cry nor hide, looking timidly at Mrs. Lai.


    ¡°Wah wah wah wah wah¡±


    The sudden loud crying of Ye Shiqi drew Hongji over, and this somewhat conscientious father scolded Mrs. Lai.


    Late, Mrs. Lai would come quietly and leave quietly; actually, besides searching the clothes, she wanted to see if Mrs. Li had hidden any private money.


    She couldn¡¯t believe that Mrs. Li had been to the county for a month and worked in a wealthy family without making any money, receiving only some goods.


    The role of Ye Shiqi here was to pretend to cry and act foolish. Her father¡¯s room had nothing of value; the only decent clothes and shoes she had hidden away.


    As night fell, she would take out two picture books for recognizing words from under her seat, actually fearing that her grandmother might find and take them, placing the books under her seat as a mere diversion.


    Tired from the day¡¯s work, Daya, along with her three sisters and Wuwa, enjoyed the picture books under the oil lamp.


    Hongji stopped his carpentry work at night. This was his only time to rest, and he would read and teach the children, although he didn¡¯t know many characters himself, having learned some while apprenticing in carpentry.


    Drawing lines for carpentry was a skill every craftsman needed to understand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you hurry up and sleep? Does the oil lamp burn for free?¡±


    Often, when they were most engrossed and joyous, the scolding of Mrs. Lai could be heard from next door.


    ¡°Children, go to sleep! I¡¯ll stop the story here for today and we¡¯ll continue tomorrow,¡± Hongji, tired from talking and hearing his mother¡¯s scolding, dutifully arranged for the children to sleep.


    Daya and her sisters obediently went to bed, and before falling asleep, they recounted the stories their father had told them under the mosquito net, wondering if life would be less harsh if they were like the princesses in fairy tales.


    Daya and her sisters never voiced their complaints aloud; their family¡¯s attitude towards girls might be somewhat unique in the village.


    But other families treated boys better than girls. As girls, living under the treatment of the elders, they felt somewhat inferior, always industrious.


    ¡­


    Mrs. Li returned to the Young Master¡¯s courtyard in Tang Mansion. The Young Master was sleeping restlessly, his face a bit red, a symptom of a fever.


    All she could do was stay by his side, and after a day, the Young Master¡¯s fever subsided and he became very clingy to her.


    After the Young Master recovered, Mrs. Li once again took him to Madam¡¯s courtyard.


    ¡°Mrs. Li, I didn¡¯t expect the Young Master to be so attached to you. What shall we do about this? This monthly visitation cannot be missed to leave the Young Master behind,¡± said the Madam.


    ¡°Madam, the monthly visitations are my only chance to see my children,¡± replied Mrs. Li. ¡°You don¡¯t know how pitiful my children are at home! The oldest is only eight, the youngest barely two months old, and the three older ones go out to work every day, rain or shine. With me not at home, so many chores are left to their tiny bodies.¡±


    Mrs. Li, as she spoke, began to cry.


    Madam, who was also a mother, frowned as she listened. Although she had never endured hardship as a wealthy lady, she was aware that poor families faced greater difficulties. She had someone investigate Mrs. Li¡¯s family; the father and son were carpenters, which should have brought in a good income, and with Mrs. Li¡¯s monthly salary from her work, the family should have been well-off.


    ¡°Your Mother-in-Law? What about the two younger sisters-in-law at home? They are adults, how can they let the little children go out to work?¡±


    ¡°They just stay at home¡­¡±


    ¡°This is simply outrageous, and your husband? With the family treating the children this way, does he not care?¡±


    ¡°My husband is very filial; the money from the carpentry work is all kept by my father-in-law and mother-in-law.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Li, you are just a servant, I can¡¯t treat you too well, but I can only reward you with some items and money. Things will get better when the Young Master grows a bit older.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    Madam gave Mrs. Li some more items, including fabric and cotton.


    ¡°Thank you, Madam.¡± When Mrs. Li saw these items, she thought of her children¡¯s winter clothes. Every year, the children wore thin clothes and often caught colds.


    Mrs. Li took the items back to the yard and received many envious stares.


    She then carried the Young Master to the young madam¡¯s courtyard, where she was scolded by the young madam.


    The young madam sat on a round chair in the hall, leaning against soft pillows, her stern gaze fixed on Mrs. Li, who was holding the Young Master.


    The maid took the Young Master from Mrs. Li¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Mrs. Li, do you realize your mistake?¡±


    ¡°Young madam, Mrs. Li is at fault¡­¡± Mrs. Li guessed that the young madam was referring to the Young Master running a fever, for which she was responsible.


    ¡°If you know your mistake, you must correct it. The Young Master is still very young. How could he have become feverish right after you left? Could it be that you did not take good care of him? He was already feverish before you headed home, and yet, seeing the Young Master feverish, you insisted on going home.¡±


    ¡°The little woman dare not. Indeed, she saw the Young Master in good condition before leaving home; he was not even awake then.¡±


    ¡°Still making excuses, the maid reported that when the Young Master became feverish, all the doors and windows in his room were open. The weather was starting to cool down, how could you be so careless?¡±


    ¡°Young madam, this is really unjust to the little woman. When I left, the Young Master¡¯s room door was closed, and only a little window was open, not all the doors and windows.¡±


    Upon hearing the young madam¡¯s words, Mrs. Li understood why the Young Master had become feverish after she had left; it was due to catching cold, yet she could not comprehend how the doors and windows had been open.


    ¡°Mrs. Li, I previously thought you were very honest, which is why I have always kept you by the Young Master¡¯s side. But not only have you been careless, you now even deny it by making excuses. Everyone around the Young Master has said that it was your carelessness that led to his fever.¡±


    ¡°Young madam, when I left, I instructed the maid to take good care of the Young Master. It¡¯s not me shirking responsibility; I truly feel wronged.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Li, I might disregard the words of one or two maids, but when everyone in the Young Master¡¯s courtyard says so, it indicates your negligence.¡±


    ¡°Young madam, whether or not this is a false accusation, the Young Master¡¯s fever is my responsibility. I will be more careful in the future.¡± Mrs. Li was starting to understand; she was powerless alone, and there were people deliberately setting her up to be unjustly treated, and it wasn¡¯t just one person; everyone in the courtyard wanted her gone.


    ¡°Mrs. Li, you admitted your mistake, how should I punish you? I will penalize what matters to you most¡ªthe leave to visit your family next month will be cut by one day, and you won¡¯t be allowed to go home. Your monthly salary will be sent by someone else from the young madam¡¯s side.¡±


    The young madam¡¯s triumphant expression, along with her maids, all smiled smugly, watching Mrs. Li¡¯s panicked face. The sadness in her expression brought them a perverse joy.

 Chapter 20 - Chapter 20: Chapter 20 Unable to Return

    Chapter 20: Chapter 20 Unable to Return


    Mrs. Li could only nod her head with tears in her eyes after the young madam spoke those words. Living under someone else¡¯s roof, she had no choice but to bow her head, burying her longing for her child deep within her heart.


    The Young Master was clever. Over the age of two, his enlightenment was no longer just about recognizing characters from pictures. Every day, a teacher would come in the morning to teach him for two hours, the ¡®Three Character Classic¡¯ and the ¡®Thousand Character Classic.¡¯


    In the afternoons, someone would come to teach the Young Master the horse stance and the basics of martial arts. The young madam was reluctant to see her son work so hard.


    It was the Eldest Young Master¡¯s idea to hire a teacher for the Young Master. As a father who wanted his son to be successful, he invested all his affection and value in his first child, determined to turn iron into a needle.


    Mrs. Li, who was illiterate, would stand by as the Young Master studied laboriously, occasionally taking care of him.


    When the Young Master fell down in the afternoon, Mrs. Li did not go to help him up. This was the Eldest Young Master¡¯s wish, and she did not dare to disobey. From time to time, the young madam would hint that when the Eldest Young Master was not around, the Young Master could slack off a bit.


    Mrs. Li did not approve of the young madam¡¯s indulgent heart, but she also did not entirely agree with the Eldest Young Master making such a young child suffer so much. Her own children suffered because of poverty.


    In the prosperous Tang Mansion, there was no need for such hardship. They could enjoy a life of luxury and comfort as happy children.


    But when Mrs. Li saw the Young Master fall without crying, and observed many bruises on his body at night, her heart ached.


    She would massage the Young Master¡¯s feet to ease his pain. Although she never understood reading and writing, as the teacher taught the Young Master, she learned to recognize a few characters.


    This was the only moment she felt joy here, and time quickly came for her monthly leave.


    Following the incident with the Young Master¡¯s fever last time, Mrs. Li¡¯s leave was somewhat mentioned by the young madam, but Madam did not express anything.


    Mrs. Li, longing for her child, could only suppress these feelings, and in the quiet of the night, she channeled her longing into sewing, making clothes and shoes for her children.


    That evening, as the Young Master just fell asleep, Mrs. Li watched over him quietly, her thoughts dwelling on her own child. Was it the busy farming season at home now?


    Her child at home must be suffering too. How could such a small child bear the burden of the farming work?


    Unable to go back and help, to make her child¡¯s burden lighter, was her greatest pain as a mother.


    Thinking of this, Mrs. Li¡¯s eyes brimmed with tears. She silently wiped them away, gently closed the bedroom door, and went to a smaller room where she slept.


    Instead of sleeping, she started sewing again. After the rice harvest, the weather turned colder, and she needed to make winter clothes and cotton shoes for her children.


    Over two years old, Young Master Tang Shunyan could sense that his wet nurse, Mrs. Li, was different from usual, and could feel the sadness behind her smile.


    Tang Shunyan pretended to be asleep. After his wet nurse had returned to her room, he opened his eyes, tiptoed to the side door, and peeked covertly at her bed.


    He saw Mrs. Li quietly shedding tears, her hands busy with needlework, immersed in silent sorrow.


    Tang Shunyan, still young, did not understand why Mrs. Li was crying, but felt protectively that someone must have bullied his wet nurse.


    He couldn¡¯t help but run in and say to Mrs. Li:


    ¡°Wet nurse, did someone make you cry?¡±


    Startled by Tang Shunyan¡¯s voice, Mrs. Li put away her needlework and wiped her tears with her sleeve.


    ¡°Young Master, your wet nurse is not crying. There¡¯s just something in my eye.¡±


    ¡°Wet nurse, don¡¯t lie to me. You¡¯re crying.¡±


    ¡°Young Master, really, no one is bullying your wet nurse. I just miss my babies.¡±


    ¡°Is it the wet nurse¡¯s elder sister and younger sister? Why doesn¡¯t the wet nurse visit them?¡± Tang Shunyan sat in Mrs. Li¡¯s lap, enjoying the warmth of her embrace.


    ¡°The wet nurse did something wrong, so I can¡¯t visit my family this month, but I hope I can next month,¡± she said.


    ¡°Wet nurse, what did you do wrong? Nothing! Is it my grandma or my mother who won¡¯t let you go? I will ask them tomorrow to let the wet nurse visit her family.¡±


    ¡°Young Master, please don¡¯t do this, or the wet nurse will make another mistake,¡± Mrs. Li felt that it was good for Tang Shunyan to speak for her, but if the Madam or the young madam thought she was sowing discord in front of the Young Master, her transgression would be even greater.


    ¡°Oh, alright then! But next time the wet nurse visits her family, she must bring Shunyan with her.¡± Little Tang Shunyan was too small to think of a solution right then and there, but deep down, he was eager to meet the elder sister and younger sister the wet nurse had mentioned.


    ¡°The wet nurse can¡¯t promise that to Shunyan, it must be approved by the Madam, the doctor, and the Young Master¡¯s elders first.¡±


    Mrs. Li, who was illiterate, understood one thing well: her home, that of a peasant¡¯s, was not a place the Young Master, born to wealth and status, could visit easily, unless he were to receive a significant favor first.


    ¡­


    Today was supposed to be the day Mrs. Li visited home. The children at home had been looking forward to it, but instead of seeing Mrs. Li¡¯s figure, they saw a guard on horseback bringing a parcel to their house.


    ¡°People of the Li family, I was sent by the Tang Mansion¡¯s housekeeper. Mrs. Li cannot return home for a visit today, so the housekeeper sent me to deliver some things.¡± The guard led his horse into the courtyard.


    ¡°Please, sit here for a moment, sir,¡± said the man of the house.


    Busy with carpentry in the thatched hut, Hongji and his sons stopped their work to wash up and welcome their guest.


    ¡°Could you prepare some grass for my horse?¡± The guard was fond of his steed.


    ¡°Certainly. This horse should eat straw, right?¡±


    Hongji went to another thatched hut and took some straw left for the cattle to feed the guard¡¯s horse.


    ¡°Sir, what is this¡­¡± Mrs. Lai, hearing voices, came out from her room and looked eagerly at the parcel the guard set down, itching to open it right away.


    ¡°Mother, hurry up, what¡¯s in the parcel?¡± Ye Shuzhen, who was inside the room, saw the guard leading a horse and holding a parcel and excitedly walked out.


    ¡°Mother, see what elder sister brought back?¡±


    Ye Shuzhi also came out of her room. Normally, since she was soon to be married, she shouldn¡¯t have been seen by a man from outside.


    Seeing the tall and handsome face of the guard leading the horse, she thought of her betrothed, who was short in stature. Although he was the son of a shop owner in town, he lacked good looks and height.


    ¡°Also, here is Mrs. Li¡¯s salary from last month, which the Madam asked the housekeeper to deliver to me,¡± the guard added.


    He then took a wallet out of his chest and put it on the table, aware of the stares of the entire family watching him.


    The guard, a bachelor himself, couldn¡¯t help but blush when he saw the gazes of the two young ladies upon him, making his heart race even more.


    Mrs. Lai quickly snatched the wallet and weighed it in her hand. Content, she tucked it into her bosom.


    ¡°Guard, why hasn¡¯t my wife come back?¡± Hongji was most concerned about his wife, who he had looked forward to seeing for a month, yet she hadn¡¯t returned.


    ¡°Big brother, I am just a guard of the Tang Mansion; how would I know about Mrs. Li¡¯s circumstances? All I know is she takes care of the Young Master, accompanying him every day,¡± replied the guard, not understanding the implication in Hongji¡¯s eyes, and relayed what he knew.

 Chapter 21 - Chapter 21: Chapter 21 Disappointment

    Chapter 21: Chapter 21 Disappointment


    ¡°Didn¡¯t the master agree to come home once a month to visit? How did things change?¡±


    Hongji looked at the guard, disappointed. His honest heart ached, having longed through the endless autumn for his wife, only to find she wouldn¡¯t be returning home.


    ¡°Brother, didn¡¯t I just tell you I don¡¯t know? We who work in the Tang Mansion are not masters of our own fate. Though a day¡¯s leave to visit family is promised, if the master¡¯s household has affairs to attend to, it¡¯s likely there will be no leave.¡±


    The guard tried his best to explain, but the Li family still couldn¡¯t understand the lack of freedom that came with their jobs.


    ¡°Oh¡­ Is my wife doing well?¡± Hongji asked, sitting there disheartened.


    ¡°Hmm, Mrs. Li is doing quite well.¡± The guard, stationed outside in the courtyard, had seen Mrs. Li walking in the garden with the Young Master a few times.


    ¡°Wow, pastries and candies¡­¡± Upon hearing her daughter¡¯s words, Mrs. Lai opened the parcel on the table, seeing the exquisite pastries and candies, she couldn¡¯t help but salivate and wanted to eat them all herself.


    ¡°Pastries and candies, I want to eat¡­¡± Ye Shuzhen quickly grabbed a pastry and stuffed it in her mouth while grabbing a candy with her hand.


    ¡°Hehe¡­ tasty,¡± Ye Shuzhi did the same.


    ¡°You¡­ why are you taking so much? I¡¯m putting these away.¡±


    Seeing her two daughters grabbing so much, Mrs. Lai¡¯s heart ached. She grabbed the parcel and hurried a few steps, planning to hide the treats back in her room.


    ¡°Dad¡­¡± Siwa heard the noise outside but didn¡¯t dare to go out, yet her sister sitting with her on the bed in the room made her carry her, and with difficulty, they step by step walked out.


    Upon leaving the room, they ran into the second and third aunts munching on pastries, and Siwa couldn¡¯t help but swallow hard, though she dared not ask her grandmother or aunts for something to eat, she could only look for her dad.


    ¡°Siwa, you are so young, how could you carry your sister out? What if you had dropped her?¡±


    Hongji, not understanding the expression on Siwa¡¯s childlike face at the moment, was nervous for his youngest child.


    As an adult and a man, Hongji could choose to eat or not eat pastries and candies. Due to his slight carelessness, he hadn¡¯t considered the children at home.


    When Mrs. Lai saw Siwa, fearing that the pastries and candies in her arms would be reduced, her stout body started to run, and with a ¡°bang,¡± she closed the room door and also shut the windows. Then, secretly in the room, she merrily ate pastries and drank candies, happy that not only did she have two extra taels of silver today, she also had plenty to eat.


    Hongji lifted both Siwa and Qing, holding one child with each hand, then said to Siwa:


    ¡°Siwa, don¡¯t carry your sister out like that in the future; you¡¯re so young, if you fall, how will your sister fare?¡±


    ¡°Dad, Qing asked me to carry her out, she wanted the pastries and candies.¡± Siwa looked at her grandmother¡¯s room door with a wronged expression, tears swirling in her eyes.


    ¡°Ah,¡± Hongji carelessly just realized there were no pastries or candies for the children. Knowing his mother¡¯s temper, the treats she now held would definitely not be shared with his children. For a moment, he felt awkward looking at Siwa¡¯s face.


    Shiqi, in Siwa¡¯s arms, saw everything. Honestly, coming from a wealthy family in her past life, she didn¡¯t care at all for the pastries and candies Mrs. Lai had.


    It¡¯s just that since arriving in this era from the book, she had been nursing for the first month and eating plain porridge for the last two months, making her taste buds quite bland. Just now, seeing Mrs. Lai opening the parcel and smelling the aroma, she couldn¡¯t help but swallow her saliva.


    ¡°Order, order¡±


    Honest Hongji couldn¡¯t resist his little girl¡¯s gaze and shouted toward Mrs. Lai¡¯s room door: ¡°Mother, share some of the pastries and candies with the children.¡±


    ¡°What to eat? They only know how to eat and can¡¯t work, costing money. Feeding them is a waste,¡±


    Mrs. Lai mumbled through her pastries, speaking hazily, while crumbs of pastries sprayed out as she spoke in the room.


    ¡°Mother, why are you cursing in front of outsiders again? This is my daughter, your granddaughter, hmm¡­¡±


    Hongji, this honest man, became angry. Even honest people have their pride, and he felt aggrieved under the guard¡¯s watchful eye.


    ¡°Hmph, sour girl, sour girl, it¡¯s not a grandson, look at you, so disappointing, protecting those money-losing goods.¡±


    Mrs. Lai didn¡¯t care about her son¡¯s angry tone. Her son was so filial that a few harsh words wouldn¡¯t matter; she was eating something, making her speech even more unclear.


    ¡°Second Sister, Third Sister, share some candy with the kids.¡± Hongji, unable to reach his mother, turned his gaze toward Second Sister and Third Sister.


    ¡°I won¡¯t¡­ this is mine.¡± Ye Shuzhen, fearful of her brother taking it, quickly ran back to her room.


    ¡°I can only give two pieces¡­¡± Ye Shuzhi, reluctant to part with the candy, but caring about the handsome guard¡¯s gaze, endured the pain and placed two candies, one for Siwa and another for Qing.


    ¡°Thank you, Second Aunt¡­ hee hee, Dad, I have candy now.¡± Siwa thanked Second Aunt, his happy face looking at Hongji, carefully hiding the candy, yet not daring to eat it, thinking in his little heart to save it to share when his sisters came back.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine,¡± Ye Shiqi blew bubbles for Ye Shuzhi, holding the candy in her hand without eating it.


    ¡°Yes, remember to be obedient from now on, alright?¡± Ye Shuzhi behaved tenderly and virtuously in front of the foreign man.


    ¡°Sir, old man, I¡¯ve been out for quite some time now, I should head back.¡± The guard, having finished his last sip of tea, stood up, approached his horse and mounted it to leave.


    ¡°This¡­¡± Ye Shuzhi wanted to keep the guard but couldn¡¯t say what was in her mouth, looking disappointedly at the guard¡¯s retreating figure.


    The guard¡¯s body stiffened on the horse for a moment, but he didn¡¯t turn back. He had learned about the family¡¯s situation from the housekeeper¡¯s mouth and knew that this Second Miss was betrothed. He couldn¡¯t withstand such enamored glances.


    ¡°Brother, take it easy!¡± Hongji and his father watched the guard¡¯s retreating figure.


    Hongji took the two kids back to the room, telling Siwa to take good care of his little sister.


    Siwa, holding a piece of candy, hugged Ye Shiqi gleefully, laughing.


    Ye Shuzhi returned to her room, emotionally distant and stunned. Ye Shuzhen hardly noticed her elder sister¡¯s mood, yet felt a bit sorry about the two candies Second Sister had given out.


    ¡°Second Sister, you don¡¯t eat the candy, give it to me, why did you give it only to those two kids?¡± Ye Shuzhen said this as she tried to snatch the candy from Ye Shuzhi¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Not giving it¡­ Why are you so greedy? You are 13 years old, right? Why aren¡¯t you cautious around foreign men?¡± Ye Shuzhi glared at Ye Shuzhen, tucking the candy into her bosom, momentarily too reluctant to eat it.


    ¡°A foreign man, that¡¯s just a guard. For me, he is a servant. My husband will be a young master,¡± Ye Shuzhen pouted at Ye Shuzhi, left only to eat the candy in her own hand since her elder sister wouldn¡¯t share.


    ¡°Get real? Look at you. Dream on about marrying a servant, let alone a young master¡­¡± Ye Shuzhi mocked her sister¡¯s foolish fantasies.


    ¡°Second Sister, you¡¯re going to marry the boss¡¯s son; my fate will definitely be better than yours,¡± Ye Shuzhen retorted stubbornly to her elder sister.


    ¡°Hmm, we¡¯ll see¡­¡± Ye Shuzhi argued back.


    Daya and the two younger sisters returned from the fields, hoping their mother would come to meet them like the last time. Yet, waiting and waiting, they didn¡¯t see her. Anxious, the three kids returned home from the fields earlier than planned.


    ¡°Dad, has Mom come back yet?¡± Daya, dropping the farming tools, looked around at home.


    ¡°Mom¡­ Mom¡­¡±


    Er Ya and Sanya ran back to the room, incessantly calling out.

 Chapter 22 - Chapter 22: Chapter 22 Forgot the Sugar

    Chapter 22: Chapter 22 Forgot the Sugar


    ¡°Your mother¡­ she didn¡¯t come home¡­¡± Hongji faced Daya¡¯s expectant eyes, and he too felt so upset that he stopped the work in his hands.


    ¡°Wuu¡­ Mom didn¡¯t come back¡­¡± Er Ya cried, standing blankly at the doorway.


    ¡°Wuu wuu¡­ Why isn¡¯t Mom coming back? Doesn¡¯t she want Sanya anymore?¡± Sanya also began to cry.


    ¡°What¡¯s all this crying for? Bad omens, you¡¯ve cried away all the fortune in this house¡­ Mrs. Li went out to work, got a taste for the outside world, and doesn¡¯t want to come back to help with chores,¡± Mrs. Lai¡¯s scolding voice came from inside the room.


    The scolding from Mrs. Lai slightly subdued the crying of the children who had just learned their mother wasn¡¯t coming home, but their weeping continued incessantly.


    The children were missing their mother, and after a month of anticipation, they received the news that she would not be returning, sparking their tearful sorrow.


    ¡°Mother, why are you scolding the children again? You definitely shouldn¡¯t speak ill of my wife like that.¡± Hongji felt sad too; just like the children, he missed his wife dearly and couldn¡¯t tolerate his mother speaking badly of her in front of them.


    ¡°If you make them stop crying, I won¡¯t scold them. Their sobbing is driving me mad!¡± Mrs. Lai¡¯s voice of compromise emanated from the room.


    ¡°There, there,¡± Shiqi took out some candy from her hand, trying to comfort her elder sisters. Their crying had made her feel so heartbroken; it was as if she, being so young, needed her mother even more!


    ¡°Candy, sister, how do you have candy?¡± Daya, with tears still on her cheeks and eyes, stopped crying at the sight of the candy.


    ¡°Candy, little sister has candy, hehe,¡± Sanya smiled upon seeing the candy, her combination of tears and laughter seemed to suggest that she had forgotten about their mother at the sight of sweets.


    ¡°Little sister, you have candy. Did Mom bring it back?¡± Er Ya looked steadily at the candy in Shiqi¡¯s hand, sharing her sister¡¯s doubt but not trying to grab the candy from her little sister¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Elder sister, Second Sister, Third Sister, I have candy too.¡± Siwa had forgotten about her candy due to her crying, but now she also took out the piece she had been reluctant to eat from her pocket.


    ¡°Candy!¡± Daya and the other sisters brightened up, splitting the candy brought out by their two younger sisters into tiny pieces, so each of them could have a small piece. They also felt that Qing was too young and should have more candy, so they handed two small pieces to Shiqi.


    Shiqi watched her elder sisters pop the candy into their mouths. In her former affluent home, she wouldn¡¯t have cared for such sweets at all, but ever since she crossed over into the body of this child in the book, having had nothing but saltless rice gruel every day, she longed for some flavor.


    Like her elder sisters, she placed a small piece of candy in her mouth and chewed gently, breaking another piece into smaller parts. ¡°There, there,¡± she offered the pieces of candy to her elder sisters gathered around her.


    ¡°Little sister is so good,¡± Daya was the first to kiss Shiqi¡¯s little face, and then the other sisters followed Daya¡¯s lead.


    Shiqi kept trying to dodge her sisters¡¯ kisses with a look that showed her disgust. They were all eating candy; it was so sticky and dirty!


    ¡°Haha, the little sister is shy,¡± Daya laughed, thinking that was the reason.


    ¡°Hahaha,¡± the other children joined in the laughter.


    Hongji, whose heart had been heavy with the children¡¯s earlier crying, now felt it lighten slightly as he heard their laughter. The children could cry loudly for their missing mother, but he couldn¡¯t cry; he could only feel depressed inside.


    As the children laughed, he felt they truly were unaware of sorrow. As they were happy, he knew he had to shoulder the burden for them.


    Mrs. Lai found the children¡¯s loud voices grating, thinking that the granddaughters were laughing at her. Her face reddened with bottled-up anger, and she started to curse:


    ¡°What are you laughing at? Get out here and cook, already! Do you expect me to wait on you freeloaders?¡±


    Upon hearing Mrs. Lai¡¯s scolding, the laughter of the children in the room stopped. Daya called Er Ya, and together they went to the kitchen to cook, leaving Sanya in the room to look after their younger sisters.


    Hongji had felt a bit happier, but his mother¡¯s scolding made him frown and feel a surge of pressure. This family made him feel suffocated.


    Seeing his own children go to the kitchen to cook while his wife and two younger daughters stayed in the room, he felt a kind of gloom in his heart.


    ¡°Dad, the busy farming season is upon us again, and my wife is not at home, we can¡¯t just let the children do the farm work.¡±


    ¡°Of course, once we men finish our current tasks, we will join in on the farm work during the busy season. Let the children spread out the rice grains to dry in the fields! And have your mother and two younger sisters also go work in the fields.¡±


    Upon hearing his son¡¯s suggestion, Hongji¡¯s father recalled that in the past, only he and his son and daughter-in-law would work, while his wife and two daughters stayed at home to dry the rice grains.


    For the past couple of months, it was always the children working outside, and the two daughters and wife did some chores at home while still complaining. He could feel that his son had opinions about this and sensed a slight estrangement between his children and the older generation.


    Daya and Er Ya made watery porridge, also frying Mrs. Li¡¯s pickled vegetables and dried radishes. Now, close to the busy farming period, there wasn¡¯t much rice left at home to eat, nor was there an abundance of other grains.


    The men of the house had to do carpentry and other strenuous work, so the density of their porridge was a bit higher than what the women ate.


    All the rice-laden porridge was poured into two big bowls, prepared for the two men of the house.


    The children and women of the house could only eat watery rice soup, akin to watered-down congee.


    Mrs. Lai, who had just had a little bit of pastry, didn¡¯t feel hungry¡ªhaving the watery congee was just right for her thirst.


    Upon seeing such a meal, Ye Shuzhen pursed her lips. But as she had eaten a piece of pastry and candy, and hadn¡¯t done any farm work, she didn¡¯t feel hungry. After eating the candy, she felt thirsty, so the watery congee suited her well.


    Ye Shuzhi was in a similar situation, looking to lose weight. She had not gone out to work that day and stayed at home, plump and white, worried she wouldn¡¯t fit into her beautiful clothes in the future.


    Daya and Er Ya always thought of their younger sisters first. They brought the watery rice soup into the room, feeding their youngest sister first.


    Siya, who was a bit older, could eat on her own, drinking the congee just like her elder sisters, feeling hungry but not daring to speak a word.


    She also didn¡¯t dare to cry, for fear of being scolded or beaten.


    ¡°Sigh,¡± Ye Shiqi sighed in her heart, ¡°When will this kind of life end?¡±


    She had been in this world from the book for three months, and only at the beginning was there milk to drink. Now, let alone eating meat again, there wasn¡¯t even enough rice to satisfy her hunger.


    As far as she knew, for a family in the village considered well-off, the father and son could earn a little bit of hard-earned money through carpentry and support the family without trouble.


    The fault lay with her grandparents, who were too greedy and stingy, always taking and never giving, and with her father, who had no say in the household.


    This foolish filial piety, it was akin to letting his wife and children starve while doing nothing.


    Thankfully he could still speak up for his daughters. When their mother wasn¡¯t around, he could play both the father and mother¡¯s role, never neglecting his daughters.


    During the meal, at the dinner table, Hongji¡¯s father paused while eating and brought up his son¡¯s suggestion.


    ¡°Old woman, Hongji said we need to harvest the grain in the field. Once we finish our work here in the next two days, all the adults in our household should go out to the fields to cut the rice.¡±


    ¡°Dad, I¡¯m definitely not going. I¡¯m not yet of age; I¡¯m not yet 15, so I don¡¯t count as an adult.¡±


    Ye Shuzhen was the first to oppose this decision. Since she was young, she had never worked in the fields. With an elder brother and sister-in-law around, how nice it was to stay at home!

 Chapter 23 - Chapter 23: Chapter 23 Doesnt Want to Work

    Chapter 23: Chapter 23 Doesn¡¯t Want to Work


    Ye Shu didn¡¯t want to do farm work either, and Shuzhi also opposed, saying, ¡°Dad, I¡¯m not going either, I¡¯m about to get married, remember? Working in the fields will make me tan, and as a future shop owner¡¯s wife, I won¡¯t need to be out in the sun.¡±


    ¡°Old man, do you think I¡¯m still able to do farm work at my age? It¡¯s hard enough for me to cook meals, let those who freeload do the work!¡±


    Mrs. Lai twisted her plump body to join the opposition. With Mrs. Li having been around for these past years, when had she ever gone to work in the fields? Staying at home was much more comfortable.


    ¡°Rebelling, one and all! If the crops in the field aren¡¯t harvested, can you really stay calmly at home? What do you think you are? Ladies of a rich family or a landlord¡¯s wife?¡±


    Hongji¡¯s father scolded his two daughters and his wife. As a man, he had to work every day as a carpenter to earn money. It was a way to dote on his wife and children, but it didn¡¯t mean he could just ignore the most important thing¡ªthe crops.


    Every farmer knows that crops are the most important. It¡¯s difficult enough to get a harvest, but to then miss the harvesting season means leaving it for the rats and birds, doesn¡¯t it?


    He glanced again at the meager meal of porridge on the table and let out a series of curses fueled by bitter frustration.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it enough that you have your sons to work the fields? Those idiots could follow along as well. We, the three women, can take care of drying the rice.¡±


    Mrs. Lai had a little scheme in mind¡ªonce the rice from the fields was brought back, wouldn¡¯t her daughters and the kids eventually have time to come back home to dry the rice?


    ¡°Dad, mom is right. We¡¯ll take care of the household chores, and you and big brother can take Daya and the others. Take the youngest child too, to stop her crying at home.¡±


    Ye Shuzhen wasn¡¯t afraid of her father¡¯s scolding at all. As long as her mother said something, it didn¡¯t matter what her father said.


    ¡°I agree with mother and younger sister. At this dining table, the majority must prevail over the minority,¡± Ye Shuzhi, in that moment, aligned herself with her mother.


    ¡°Are you allowing yourselves to be dictated by others? Even infants of a few months are being sent out, yet you have the heart to let them go work in the fields so young? Such a good mother, such loving younger sisters!¡±


    Hongji, fraught with the accumulation of frustrating issues, glared angrily at his mother and younger sister.


    ¡°Hongji is right. This can¡¯t go on. We can¡¯t be eating gruel when we¡¯re busy with farm work. We need to buy some rice from the town, old woman, and you need to make sure we add some meat to our meals during this busy time.¡±


    Hongji¡¯s father felt he didn¡¯t know whether it was age or the lack of eating meat that was causing the problem, or perhaps it was due to not having dry rice to eat, which sometimes left him without enough energy for work.


    Mrs. Lai used to be a miser and was unwilling to spend money, but since the money went into their own pockets, they just gritted their teeth and bore it.


    But he also wanted to eat some meat to have the strength to work. Glancing once more at Hongji, he realized his son hadn¡¯t produced any grandchildren yet. They couldn¡¯t afford to wreck their health; they had to keep up their strength and possibly have another big, healthy grandson.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll go to the market tomorrow,¡± Mrs. Lai said, feeling the pain of the expense. Buying rice, oil, and meat¡ªhow much money would that cost?


    ¡°Mom, when you go to the market, buy me some thread too, I have some things to embroider,¡± Ye Shuzhi thought of embroidering wallets.


    ¡°Embroider what? During the farming busy season, everyone has to work,¡± Hongji¡¯s father was still angry.


    ¡°Dad, it¡¯s just going to be lying around if she buys it. Shuzhi has to get married by the end of the year; she must hurry to finish embroidering her dowry and wedding dress.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, dad, I don¡¯t even have enough time for my dowry, let alone time for busy farming,¡± Ye Shuzhi took the opportunity to add her point.


    ¡°Then only one person can stay at home to do household chores, the others have to go do farm work,¡± Hongji¡¯s father compromised a little.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll do the household chores at home, and mother and the younger sisters can go do the farm work,¡± Ye Shuzhi, who had previously found the kitchen dirty and was reluctant to enter, now took on this task to avoid going outside and working in the sun.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do the household chores, and Second Sister and mom can do the farm work,¡± Ye Shuzhen noticed Second Sister¡¯s cunning. She was a maiden too and did not want to tan herself ugly.


    ¡°You ungrateful ones! At my age, I still have to do farm work? I¡¯ll take care of the household work,¡± Mrs. Lai angrily glared at her two daughters. To avoid doing the outdoor farm work, the three women began arguing among themselves.


    Hongji finished the food in his bowl with agitation and left without a word, returning to his room to see that the children had already eaten their lunch. Hesitant and fearful, they looked outside, not daring to bring their bowls into the kitchen lest they incur more scolding.


    Hongji looked at his daughters, noting that only Wuwa was somewhat plump and fair. The fact that even diluted rice soup could nourish the child so well seemed a stroke of good fortune.


    The other kids all had hair of a dull yellow and skinny little faces; even Siwa, who always stuck close to Wuwa, was thin and frail.


    Seeing his children, Hongji felt a pang in his heart. He picked up Wuwa, who sat beside Daya on the bed, and thought how wonderful it would have been if this child had been a boy.


    Picking up his little girl, he realized that despite her fair and chubby appearance, she didn¡¯t weigh much.


    ¡°Girls, take a nap. In a couple of days, the busy farming season will start, and we won¡¯t be able to sleep,¡± he said.


    Daya, sensible as ever, nodded in agreement but knew that the washing up would inevitably be left for her.


    If she didn¡¯t wash the dishes now, leaving them until later would only lead to a scolding from grandma.


    When Daya brought the bowls into the kitchen, she found, as expected, that nobody had cleared the table, and there was not a soul to be seen in the kitchen.


    In silence, Daya tidied up the bowls and washed them quietly. After she had cleaned them, she returned to the room to find her father and sisters asleep so she crept in quietly.


    Ye Shiqi heard the faint footsteps and opened her eyes to whisper softly to her eldest sister, saying something that only she could understand.


    ¡°Safe, safe,¡± she said.


    ¡°Wuwa, go to sleep,¡± Daya took care of her sister, choosing to lie down next to Wuwa.


    Daya had just fallen into a weary sleep when she was rudely awakened by her grandmother¡¯s scolding voice. ¡°Daya, you¡¯re being lazy again. It¡¯s this late and you¡¯re still not out working?¡±


    The sound of ¡°thud, thud¡± startled Daya and her two slightly older sisters, who woke up groggy and confused.


    They hurried out the door, donning their tattered hats and taking their small baskets to work in the fields.


    The commotion awoke Hongji too. He sighed internally, sat up in bed, and saw Siwa and Wuwa looking at him.


    ¡°Siwa, take good care of your sister,¡± he instructed.


    ¡°Understood, Dad,¡± Siwa obediently nodded.


    However, before leaving, Hongji took Ye Shiqi to urinate, not wanting Siwa to have to carry the little girl while he was around.


    With the heart of an adult, Ye Shiqi could only continually remind herself that she must act like a child.


    By evening, the three children had not returned from the fields, and nobody had started cooking in the kitchen. Just then, someone entered the house.


    It was Ye Shuying, the eldest daughter of the Ye family, who had married into the same village and hadn¡¯t visited her parents¡¯ home for several months.


    Mrs. Li had given birth not too long ago and had yet to make an appearance in such a long time; it was curious that she chose this moment to show up. The father and son, busy with carpentry, wondered why.


    ¡°Dad, brother, Shuying has come,¡± she called out.


    Hearing her voice, the father and son simply nodded. Meanwhile, Mrs. Lai, peering out from a room in the house, saw her eldest daughter and emerged, ¡°Shuying, what brings you here? Is something the matter?¡±

 Chapter 24 - Chapter 24: Chapter 24 Aunt Appears

    Chapter 24: Chapter 24 Aunt Appears


    Ye Shuzhi and Ye Shuzhen walked out of the room when they heard the noise.


    ¡°Mother, you haven¡¯t come to help me with the kids for several days, and now it¡¯s time for the harvest at my place. You must come help me with the children. Father and brother and two younger sisters need to help me harvest the rice.¡±


    Ye Shuying was ordering her family around unceremoniously, just as she had done before, though in the past it had been her brother and sister-in-law who had helped, while her mother took care of the children.


    ¡°This¡­, there¡¯s still so much to do at home, and your sister-in-law isn¡¯t home¡­ We need to harvest our own rice.¡±


    Mrs. Lai didn¡¯t agree immediately as she had before. These days she had to do all the housework at home and was somewhat reluctant to go work at her eldest daughter¡¯s place.


    ¡°Mother, how have you become like this? You weren¡¯t like this before, you could help me finish harvesting then do your own work.¡± Ye Shuying couldn¡¯t believe she was being refused by her own mother.


    ¡°Elder Sister, when have you ever seen me work in the fields? I¡¯m about to get married, how could I help you with farm work? What a joke¡­¡±


    Ye Shuzhi was irritated by her elder sister who lived so close by yet always expected help just because she had a son. She too was going to get married soon and would eventually have a son.


    ¡°Second Sister is right, I¡¯m not going to do farm work. Stop counting on me,¡± Ye Shuzhen mockingly glanced at her elder sister.


    ¡°Great, all of you won¡¯t help, right? Are we not relatives anymore?¡± Ye Shuying pointed at her mother and sisters, furious enough to burst into angry words.


    ¡°What are you talking about? You¡¯re married now, of course you need to manage your own household. You¡¯ve seen our family is not having an easy time either.¡±


    Hongji hadn¡¯t yet spoken when his father, furiously glaring, reminded everyone that they had talked just that afternoon about the need to do farm work at home, and now the eldest daughter was demanding their help again, which was quite irritating.


    ¡°Father, am I still your daughter or not? If you don¡¯t help, then consider that you don¡¯t have this daughter,¡± Ye Shuying, always proud, looked down on Hongji, who simply obeyed and was always dutiful. Since marrying into her husband¡¯s family, her brother and sister-in-law had helped her quite a bit.


    She had thought that once she spoke up today, they would help, but she hadn¡¯t expected her family to be so unyielding.


    Over the years, it was only with her family¡¯s help that she was able to live well in her husband¡¯s family, with her mother-in-law not helping with the children and sternly insisting her mother come over to help.


    During the busy farming season, she had been fortunate to have her family¡¯s help and had always felt that it was only right for her family to assist her as they had before.


    ¡°Oh come on, your sister-in-law and I have helped you quite a bit over the years, haven¡¯t we? Yet you never helped back. Not even once did you visit when your sister-in-law gave birth, and now suddenly you remember you have a brother!¡±


    Hongji was mocking his younger sister. In fact, he had long held a grudge against his parents for favoring his sisters. Over the past years, despite being busy and tired, he and his wife had still helped, but how had this sister treated him and his wife?


    Ye Shiqi heard the loud arguments from the room. She had never seen such a confrontation with her aunt, and then watched as Siwa carried her to sit at the doorway to watch.


    She saw her father and grandfather stopping their carpentry work under the thatched shelter and glaring at her aunt who was standing in the courtyard.


    The Second Aunt, Third Aunt, and grandmother were also standing in the courtyard, not getting along well with the elder aunt, who seemed to be threatening to cut off relations.


    Ye Shiqi sized up this aunt, who looked just like her grandmother and her Second and Third Aunts, with a round face and a stout body, short and pale.


    The three-month-old baby was seeing these important family members for the first time, together with that uncle she had never met, whom her Second Aunt always mentioned was her fianc¨¦ who never appeared.


    Ye Shiqi was a bit puzzled. How far was the town from here? Why hadn¡¯t she met the man her aunt was betrothed to?


    Have the engaged couple of several months been having affairs?


    When Ye Shiqi was reading that book, she only looked at a few pages and thought that the author wrote with too much melodrama. Where in reality would there be such a family?


    In her era, girls were considered highly valuable, weren¡¯t they?


    In a society with gender equality, girls are treasured, especially since many are only children. How could anyone treat their daughters so cruelly?


    She had a stepmother, and she wasn¡¯t close to her stepmother or her elder sister, but she never really suffered. Her father always gave her money, otherwise how could she live so comfortably?


    With space, she wouldn¡¯t get rich or prosperous, considering her space became useless. She always felt that space was unsafe and untrustworthy.


    Now, out of curiosity, she opened such a book and entered a melodramatic story, facing days of cold and hunger. When would it end?


    She had just heard in the room that a child as big as her was supposed to go work in the fields. Having always stayed in her room since birth, she felt she was practically molding.


    Seeing the outside world seemed like a good idea¡ªperhaps she could find some seeds to plant something useful in her small space and avoid starving.


    Ye Shiqi felt that she, an unspeakable baby, needed to change her tactics and think about how to make a living in this world.


    Seeing how her elder sisters were treated by the family made her worry about her own future.


    Since she had grown a bit, her space had grown as well: what was once a two-square-meter space at birth, became as big as a bathroom after a couple of months, and now it might be as big as their small house room¡ªa considerable small space.


    Ye Shiqi decided to look for some seeds that could fill the stomach, plant a bit first, and not starve anymore.


    Ye Shuying¡¯s harsh words were ignored, leaving her to walk away sulky and defeated.


    That night, Mrs. Lai tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep.


    She felt uneasy about having turned down her elder daughter today, fearing that her daughter might really sever ties with them.


    ¡°Hongji¡¯s mother, why aren¡¯t you sleeping?¡±


    ¡°Old man, is our treatment of the elder daughter okay? If she ignores us from now on, won¡¯t I be unable to see my chubby grandchild?¡± Mrs. Lai was typically more concerned about her grandson, not the elder daughter.


    ¡°Hongji¡¯s mother, you should be nicer to your own child! No matter what, he¡¯s your son. We hope they will give us a grandson to continue the family line. The grandchildren from a daughter are still just grandchildren after all.¡±


    Hongji¡¯s father¡¯s words made Mrs. Lai silent, but improving her relationship with those who cost money was out of the question.


    If they could buy some meat to nourish their son and help him have grandsons sooner, that would be more practical.


    In the room, Ye Shuzhi and Ye Shuzhen, these two sisters shared a room but not a bed. They talked about the elder sister, both feeling that she was too impractical.


    Daya, Er Ya, and Sanya didn¡¯t know that the elder aunt had visited. Siwa had seen the elder aunt only once or twice, and being such a small child, couldn¡¯t clearly express it, only mentioning that an aunt had come and was helping the family with work.


    Daya and the three younger sisters looked at their silent father as they massaged their sore hands, not daring to say much.


    The next day, Mrs. Lai went to the market, riding the village cart. It had been a while since she had appeared in that cart, and other women who were also going to the market started gossiping about her.

 Chapter 25 - Chapter 25: Chapter 25 Had an Idea

    Chapter 25: Chapter 25 Had an Idea


    ¡°Mrs. Lai, off to the market? Your daughter-in-law has gone to the county, and you still have so much free time?¡± a matchmaker in her forties or fifties gossiped to Mrs. Lai.


    ¡°Mrs. Lai, your daughter-in-law is truly virtuous, taking on so much work by herself. Now she¡¯s even earning money for your family by working outside. You¡¯ve got yourself a good daughter-in-law,¡± another Mother-in-law gossiped, with envy.


    ¡°She¡­ It¡¯s a pity she hasn¡¯t managed to give birth to a boy, something our family has been longing for! Ah¡­¡±


    Mrs. Lai felt proud of the village women¡¯s envious gaze as they gossiped about her, and why wouldn¡¯t she be?


    It was indeed a matter of pride that her son had married a hardworking daughter-in-law, except for the earlier mentioned flaw¡ªshe had not yet given birth to a plump grandson.


    Today, she dolled herself up especially, wearing the silver ring she normally didn¡¯t dare to, a silver bracelet stolen from her daughter-in-law¡¯s dowry, and even a silver hairpin in her hair, along with silver earrings, all dressed up without fear of being robbed on her way to town.


    ¡°Mrs. Lai, you have your daughter-in-law working as a wet nurse, when will she be able to bear you a big, chubby boy?¡±


    One of the village women who was heading to the market said boldly to the young wife without shame.


    ¡°Yo, you¡¯re a young wife. I see your belly is a bit protruding, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re pregnant?¡±


    Other women laughed at what the young wife had said.


    The oxcart wasn¡¯t very common; those who were willing to spend that little bit of money also thought it more comfortable to not have to walk to town.


    Men who had good leg strength found it inconvenient to squeeze into an oxcart with the women, so today all the passengers in the oxcart were women, with only a man driving the cart, who was not at liberty to chat.


    The young wife nodded shyly and said, ¡°I was just about to go to town to buy some things to prepare clothes and shoes for the child, it¡¯s just been over three months, so I can talk to others about it.¡±


    The other women nodded, agreeing that what the young wife said made sense.


    Mrs. Lai¡¯s triangular eyes observed the young wife¡¯s belly contemplatively; her daughter-in-law had already had five births and couldn¡¯t always be bearing daughters. Many people had seen that some always have daughters, seven or eight girls, and yet no son is born.


    Mrs. Lai, concerned that Mrs. Li might also have such a constitution, considered that, given their family circumstances, they could take a concubine for their son.


    If Mrs. Li could not produce a son, they could let the concubine bear a plump boy for their family, thus allowing their family to flourish with descendants.


    Then she thought about how her house only had a few rooms: one for her son, one for the two old folks, one for the daughters, and one for sundry items, plus a kitchen and a thatched room for making furniture.


    If they wanted to take a concubine for their son, they would need to build another room at home.


    Mrs. Lai touched the coin purse in her bosom. If they were to build another room in the house, her pile of coins would get significantly thinner. And in a month or two, when her second daughter was to be married off, they would need to prepare a dowry.


    Although they could cut wood from the mountains for free, labor was still needed. Saving on the carpentry labor, as the girl¡¯s family, they would still have to buy many things.


    Today, Mrs. Lai suddenly had this idea of getting a concubine for her son. Indecisive, she decided to discuss it with her husband after returning from the market and find a girl to be his concubine through a matchmaker.


    When the oxcart arrived in town, everyone got off.


    Mrs. Lai busied herself buying rice, soy sauce, meat, and other things her daughter had asked for.


    When she went shopping, she deliberately went to her future son-in-law¡¯s place to buy some items, fully intent on receiving a discount from his family.


    Zhong Xianggui was selling goods in the shop with his mother while his father had gone to restock.


    Clients continually came into the shop to buy items. Their family¡¯s shop was like a general store, having everything, and he was busy introducing products and their prices to the customers.


    Seeing another person enter the shop, he lifted his professional smile and greeted the newcomer with a smiling face, only to see that the person entering was the future Mother-in-law.


    His smile paused for a moment as he lowered his head, pretending to sell things, and didn¡¯t greet the future Mother-in-law.


    His mother, however, was a bit smoother and, upon seeing Mrs. Lai without changing her own smiling expression, said to her:


    ¡°My dear relative, what brings you here today? We¡¯ve been so busy that we haven¡¯t had the time to visit your household.¡±


    The owner of the grocery store had been running the shop in this town for many years, with relatives from various villages coming to buy things every day, and there was always gossip circulating.


    Previously, the reason she had the matchmaker propose this family as in-laws was that she felt they were stingy but treated their own daughter quite well, and maybe they would give a more generous dowry in the future.


    Her son had also taken a liking to the girl from this family, and so the marriage arrangement was settled, but they hadn¡¯t expected to later find out that this family was not treating their daughter-in-law and granddaughter well.


    They turned a blind eye to it all, pretending to be deaf and dumb when the other party didn¡¯t even hold a full month celebration for the birth of the granddaughter, saving themselves a sum of money that would have gone to a gift.


    Mrs. Lai¡¯s visit today, if not to purchase, might be to demand something.


    The owner of the grocery store looked down upon Mrs. Lai¡¯s ill treatment of her daughter-in-law, yet she did not express it openly, unable to imagine what the interaction with her own future daughter-in-law would be like.


    ¡°Relative, I¡¯m here to shop today. We¡¯re family after all, and I¡¯m here to support your business. I hope you can give me a bit more discount, and don¡¯t mention anything about giving it away for free; I know you need to cover your costs in selling goods.¡±


    Mrs. Lai¡¯s words sounded pleasant, hinting that she believed it was too soon for her to push her luck before her daughter was married into their family; in reality, she was hoping they would generously offer to let her shop without paying.


    Sadly, her wooden son-in-law-to-be did not respond. He seemed so shrewd, so why did he appear so cluelessly foolish in her presence?


    ¡°Relative, sure! Since we¡¯re family, I¡¯ll give you a wholesale price when you shop here.¡±


    The proprietor¡¯s words were honeyed; only she knew the actual cost price of the goods. Saying she was giving Mrs. Lai a wholesale price meant that it was the same price given to anyone buying in bulk and not the cost price.


    Mrs. Lai, completely missing the implication of this remark, nodded happily and inquired how much rice to buy, along with mung beans, sugar, oil, and soy sauce.


    If Mrs. Lai wanted to buy pork, she would definitely have to go to the other side of the market.


    After hearing Mrs. Lai¡¯s list, the owner arranged for her son to weigh out the goods while she tallied up the total cost of so many items on her abacus.


    ¡°Relative, the total comes to 200 cents.¡±


    ¡°That much¡­¡± Mrs. Lai, not being very numerate, felt the price was quite steep and clutched her coin purse tightly.


    ¡°Relative, I¡¯m already giving you a bargain. If you don¡¯t believe me, go ask at other stores; you definitely won¡¯t find this price anywhere else.¡± The shopkeeper had anticipated that Mrs. Lai wouldn¡¯t easily part with her money and prepared herself for a needless haggling ordeal.


    ¡°This¡­¡± hesitated Mrs. Lai.


    ¡°Relative, by all rights, with your daughter-in-law making so much money working in the county, and your family¡¯s two carpenters earning well, you¡¯ve probably stopped farming altogether, right? It¡¯s necessary to spend a little when buying rice since you¡¯ve earned it; of course, you should eat better.¡±


    The shop owner was trying to pry some information, quite curious as to what her future daughter-in-law was actually doing at home.


    Earlier talk suggested the girl was constantly at home¡ªsuch a lazy person would certainly need some proper training once she became part of the family.


    Mrs. Lai had trained her daughter-in-law to be so diligent¡ªhow could she not outdo Mrs. Lai? Eventually, a daughter-in-law becomes a Mother-in-law, too, and she would let the daughter-in-law taste what it was like to be in that role ¨C it certainly couldn¡¯t be as comfortable as being a daughter.

 Chapter 26 - Chapter 26: Chapter 26 Losing Integrity in the Later Years

    Chapter 26: Chapter 26 Losing Integrity in the Later Years


    Mrs. Lai was usually aggressive but very shrewd, and she was afraid that saying too much might adversely affect her daughter. She felt that the lady boss was too cunning and sensed she was no match for her.


    This person was a businesswoman, who could spin death as life, leaving Mrs. Lai defenseless.


    ¡°Relative, how did you find out? The land is the foundation of us farmers, how can we not till the soil? Our family is buying so many things now because we need to harvest the rice soon, and we want to provide some nourishment to the family so they have the strength to work.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, so, relative, all this stuff for just 200 coins is such a bargain, why hesitate to spend?¡± the lady boss spoke in a calculating tone, designed to irritate yet prevent anger, as she was smiling while she spoke¡ªa facade of a smile, a fa?ade of excellent customer service.


    Mrs. Lai¡¯s face flushed with embarrassment at the future relative¡¯s words. Hadn¡¯t she come here to shop precisely because she wanted a discount?


    She wanted to buy inexpensive goods from her future relative but didn¡¯t anticipate how shrewd the other party would be, and she dared not offend them.


    Mrs. Lai reluctantly took out strings of copper coins from her bosom, her heart aching with each one removed.


    Zhong Xianggui was serving other customers, not dealing directly with Mrs. Lai, knowing that as a future son-in-law, it was unwise to argue with a future mother-in-law, and shrewdly left the matter to his mother.


    Mrs. Lai saw her relative unhesitatingly take the money.


    She took the already packaged goods and left in anger without looking back, not wanting to say even a goodbye.


    Zhong Xianggui and his mother were unconcerned and continued to attend to other customers.


    Mrs. Lai also bought the fatty cuts with a sense of pain, the cuts used for oil extraction.


    Then, she arrived where the ox-cart waited; the village women, seeing how much she had bought, asked her enviously about her purchases.


    Amidst their envious looks, Mrs. Lai¡¯s mood improved, and she bragged proudly.


    ¡°I bought this rice and these items from my relative¡¯s place. My future son-in-law gave me the cheapest price. These things I¡¯ve bought weren¡¯t expensive at all.¡±


    Curious, those sitting in the ox-cart wondered how much money she had spent on her purchases.


    When they learned she had spent 200 coins, they couldn¡¯t help but cover their mouths and laugh, though they didn¡¯t openly mock Mrs. Lai.


    These were the prices one would expect at her relative¡¯s shop¡ªeven wholesale prices were the same elsewhere. It seemed only Mrs. Lai naively thought she had gotten a deal.


    Returning home with all her purchases, Mrs. Lai¡¯s daughters rushed out when they saw how much she had bought.


    ¡°Mother, did you buy us anything?¡± Ye Shuzhi rummaged through the goods her mother had bought.


    ¡°Mother, did you buy sweets?¡± Ye Shuzhen thought of the candy from the day before; it was gone, and she wanted more.


    ¡°I¡¯ve spent over 200 coins on all these goods, where would I have money to buy candy? Didn¡¯t you already have sweets yesterday?¡± Mrs. Lai rolled her eyes at her younger daughter, unamused.


    ¡°Mother, you just received two taels of silver yesterday from your daughter-in-law for her work. Why are you so stingy, only buying this little bit of meat? You know I don¡¯t eat the fatty cuts. Why didn¡¯t you buy the lean ones for me?¡± Ye Shuzhen stomped her foot angrily.


    ¡°Why waste money on that? Lean meat isn¡¯t tasty at all. After you press the oil out of these fatty cuts, they¡¯re delicious,¡± Mrs. Lai rolled her eyes again at her daughter. This is not knowing the cost of maintaining a household.


    ¡°Mother, hmph¡­¡± Ye Shuzhen, after picking up her thread, stomped off back to her room.


    Ye Shuzhi also took her stuff and left without asking a word about her husband, who had come from town.


    ¡°You two, come out and help your old mother with cooking after you¡¯ve put your things away.¡±


    Mrs. Lai ordered her daughters who had returned to their rooms.


    ¡°Mother, Daya and Er Ya are coming back; let them cook!¡±


    Ye Shuzhen¡¯s voice came from inside the room.


    However, Ye Shuzhi remained silent.


    Hongji and his father, who had not spoken until now, heard them discussing having the children who went out to work in the fields come back to cook.


    Hongji stopped his woodworking, staring intently at his mother and sister¡¯s room, feeling even more irritated.


    Mrs. Lai caught her son¡¯s gaze and remembered what she had thought about that morning.


    ¡°Hongji, after the busy farming season, you and your father should go to the hills to chop more wood, build an additional room in the yard, and also make your sister¡¯s dowry. You¡¯ll need to work overtime in the evenings; don¡¯t just focus on those loss-making goods.¡±


    ¡°Mother, you expect me to work faster, but you don¡¯t help with the housework. How old are my children? You all are so heartless, with so many adults at home, yet waiting for the children who work outside to come back and cook.¡±


    Hongji glared angrily at his mother.


    Hongji¡¯s father looked up at his son and his wife, stopped his work, washed his hands, then picked up a bamboo tube, put some tobacco inside, lit it, took a drag from the tube, and exhaled a puff of smoke before saying to Mrs. Lai:


    ¡°Speak! Why build an extra room?¡±


    ¡°Old man, someone¡¯s wife in the village is pregnant. Our family can¡¯t always have just girls. We need someone to carry on the family lineage.¡± Mrs. Lai¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t soft at all, as it carried into the room.


    Ye Shuzhi and Ye Shuzhen were eavesdropping and pouting, but they said nothing.


    Ye Shiqi, in the other room, was now able to sit up. Thanks to the water from the space, her body was exceptionally nimble. While others were still unable to sit up, she could already crawl.


    But she didn¡¯t want to crawl on the dirty ground anymore and asked her fourth sister to carry her to the doorway to secretly listen to the conversation outside in the yard.


    Hearing her grandmother¡¯s words, she knew that her ruthless grandmother wanted to take advantage of her mother being in the county, using the money her mother earned from working outside, to secretly arrange for a concubine for her father.


    Her mother could endure this, but she, as a daughter, could not. The thought of having a stepmother, who would be cruel to them when their own mother was not around, pained her.


    She had to find a way to stop all this and let her mother know about it. But with her mother¡¯s timid nature, would she ever resist?


    Ye Shiqi was worried, worried for her mother, and fretted over her potentially miserable future life.


    She leaned her ear, eager to hear what her father would say.


    ¡°Mother, don¡¯t mention that. Building a room costs money. Your son and his wife are still young; it¡¯d be better to let my wife stop working as a housekeeper, so she can stay home with the children, sparing me so much hard work.¡±


    Hongji was slightly tempted by his mother¡¯s suggestion of continuing the family lineage but also feared being labeled as faithless.


    His wife worked outside while he took a concubine; this was something the honest man couldn¡¯t do, even though he longed for a woman¡¯s company after months without one.


    ¡°Son, taking a concubine is so cheap. All the money your wife earns from working outside is nothing compared to having a concubine who can bear you children,¡± Mrs. Lai tried to convince her son.


    ¡°Mother, you haven¡¯t considered the cost of building an extra room and the money for taking a concubine. That¡¯s the hard-earned money of my wife from working outside. You might as well let Father take a concubine to give me a brother.¡±


    These words from Hongji made his father blush a little, momentarily tempted.


    ¡°You wicked son, you want to ruin your old mother¡¯s reputation in her old age.¡± How could Mrs. Lai let her husband take a concubine? It would mean sharing him with another woman.

 Chapter 27 - Chapter 27: Chapter 27 Stealing the Leftover Meat

    Chapter 27: Chapter 27 Stealing the Leftover Meat


    ¡°Mother, don¡¯t hit me¡­¡± Hongji was being hit by his mother, standing obediently and letting her strike him several times; the hits were quite painful.


    ¡°If not you, then who should I hit? Ah¡­ Such a rotten idea, suggesting your father take a concubine, and you had the nerve to speak it.¡±


    Mrs. Lai¡¯s anger led her face to turn crimson; her plump body twisted as her chubby hands continually slapped her son.


    ¡°Mother, let¡¯s not talk about this matter anymore, otherwise my stance remains the same,¡± Hongji said, unwilling to compromise, as he slightly turned his body due to the pain in his chest, now presenting his back to his mother¡¯s strikes which actually felt like a bit of a massage after a morning of tiring work.


    ¡°Pfft¡­¡± Ye Shiqi couldn¡¯t help but burst into laughter upon hearing this.


    ¡°Sister, what¡¯s so funny that you are laughing so hard?¡± Siwa had been listening too, but she couldn¡¯t make sense of the commotion outside.


    ¡°An gui an gui,¡± her younger sister replied to Siwa, speaking the language that puzzled her.


    Ye Shuying had come by the day before and was turned away by her own family; returning home, she didn¡¯t know how to explain it to her family members.


    Keeping the incident secret, the next day at lunch, her husband, who was five generations removed and also bore the Ye surname, mentioned it while she was holding their son and feeding him.


    ¡°Shuying, did you notify your elder brother and others to come help harvest the rice? And your mother, she hasn¡¯t come to help with the child these past few days either. Don¡¯t just stay at home with the child all day; all the outdoor work falls on my shoulders.¡±


    ¨C


    Shuying¡¯s husband possessed the skill of building houses, learnt from his father, but unfortunately his father had died young. Now he had only his mother and an unmarried younger brother, along with an elder sister married within the village.


    The two brothers hadn¡¯t separated households yet, working together in construction, while his mother, rather than helping with the child, was busy with her own side jobs, leaving childcare to the mother-in-law.


    Their family had grown accustomed to it, believing that it was only right for Ye Shuying¡¯s family to help out.


    ¡°Husband, my elder brother and father as well as my mother all disapprove, saying they have their own work to do. My elder sister-in-law isn¡¯t home either, and a lot of the work falls to the children,¡± Shuying replied under the reproachful gaze of her mother-in-law and the disapproving look from her husband.


    ¡°What? They aren¡¯t coming to help? Our house has so much land, and if they don¡¯t come to help with the child, I don¡¯t care. Don¡¯t you think I, this old woman, will go out and harvest rice,¡± said the mother-in-law, being the first one to complain.


    ¡°We two brothers also have to go out for construction work. With so much land, if they don¡¯t come to help, when will we finish harvesting?¡± Ye Senhai glared at his wife with widened eyes.


    The younger brother-in-law also glared, suggesting that without the help from his sister-in-law¡¯s family, would they not be worked to death?


    ¡°Let the younger aunts come to help; not even one of them coming would be too heartless, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± Senhai followed up.


    ¡°Husband, I already said harsh words, that if they don¡¯t help, we should cut ties with them. Let¡¯s see if that makes them come,¡± Shuying said, feeling troubled by her in-laws¡¯ complaints, her own family¡¯s unwillingness to help felt like a lack of support for her.


    ¡°What did your mother-in-law and father-in-law say? And your elder brother too; they used to help, and your mother would help with the child without complaint. Is it because you said something wrong that they won¡¯t come?¡± Senhai paused, ready to speak to his wife.


    ¡°No, I went to my family¡¯s home yesterday and everyone was there; they said they needed to harvest their own rice in a few days and didn¡¯t have the time to help. I said if they don¡¯t help, we should sever ties, but they ruthlessly said they won¡¯t come, and I had no other options,¡± Shuying explained feeling very wronged; her widowed mother-in-law had never helped with the child, always relying on her own family.


    ¡°You useless thing, I¡¯ll take care of the grandchild. You three go harvest the rice! If the in-laws don¡¯t come to help, from now on don¡¯t let them come to see the grandchild,¡± said the widowed mother-in-law, to which her two sons dared not object.


    Shuying painfully nodded her agreement. Back then, she had been attracted to Senhai for his handsome looks, tall figure, and his skill in building, hopeful of a good family life.


    ¡°`


    She hadn¡¯t expected that her widowed mother would not treat her well at home and that she could only seek help from her own family. Her mother pinched every penny, but fortunately, her first child was a son, and her family was happy to help; this was the only way she could live comfortably.


    But all that changed when Mrs. Li became a wet nurse. Suddenly, her family no longer came to help with the children or the rice harvest. She could imagine the additional burden and how much harder she would have to work in the future.


    ¡­


    Mrs. Lai brought home some fatty pork, and today, work fell on the children to cook. When Daya and her two younger sisters returned from outside, they smelled the aroma coming from the kitchen.


    Daya saw the second aunt and the third aunt in the kitchen with their cheeks puffed out, as she caught Mother-in-law stuffing a piece of pressed oil cake into her mouth without fear of it being too hot.


    Seeing the meat, Daya swallowed her saliva and, along with her two sisters, went to wash their hands. The well-behaved girls knew they wouldn¡¯t receive any of the good stuff, and as long as they weren¡¯t hit or scolded, they would keep to their room after washing up.


    Siwa, in the room, was peeping out the window stealthily at the kitchen, and Ye Shiqi could also see the kitchen from the window.


    However, she never ate such deep-fried food before; high in fat and heat-inducing, especially when made from pork fat, she never touched such things.


    Ye Shiqi never entered the kitchen and didn¡¯t know how to cook the fatty pork. She had never anticipated that one day, she would become a character from a book, where she would see fatty meat scraps as treasures.


    She felt somewhat sorry for her four elder sisters, who certainly hadn¡¯t tasted such fine foods.


    Come lunchtime, there was dry rice for a change on the dining table, along with vegetables cooked with lard scraps, and Daya and her three sisters eyed the lard scraps.


    To their surprise, Mrs. Lai served them rice, just a small bowl each, and some vegetables cooked with lard scraps, without a single piece of meat.


    The four sisters didn¡¯t dare speak, their eyes fixed on their father Hongji¡¯s bowl of meat.


    Mrs. Lai gave a bit of the lard scraps to the head of the household, Hongji¡¯s father, and to Hongji as well.


    Seeing the rare treat of lard scraps in front of him, Hongji¡¯s face broke into a smile. Catching the gaze of his four sisters, he hesitated before apportioning a piece of scrap from his bowl into each of their bowls.


    ¡°Hongji, you eat what you¡¯ve got; you can¡¯t be sharing with these money-losing goods. If they eat it, they¡¯ll just get lazier at work.¡±


    As Mrs. Lai spoke, her hand and the chopsticks of her two daughters reached toward the four sisters¡¯ bowls.


    Daya and her four sisters quickly grabbed the piece of meat in their bowls and threw it into their mouths, picked up their own bowls, and the one belonging to Wuya, and ran back to their room.


    ¡°Such audacity¡­ daring to revolt, huh!¡± Mrs. Lai¡¯s hand wasn¡¯t quick enough, and again she cursed.


    ¡°Mother, you¡¯re always favoring brother, and he¡¯s bound to favor his own children,¡± Ye Shuzhen mumbled resentfully.


    ¡°Exactly, brother doesn¡¯t even bother to care about his sisters,¡± Ye Shuzhi added fuel to the fire.


    ¡°Hmph, you still call yourselves aunties? Just now, when cooking, you each had something in your mouths; you think I didn¡¯t know? My children didn¡¯t even dare to enter the kitchen when they got home.¡±


    Accused by his two sisters, Hongji, who was usually an honest man that never talked back, started to defend his children.


    ¡°Brother¡­ look at you talking¡­¡± Ye Shuzhi blushed from embarrassment.


    ¡°Mother¡­ look at brother,¡± Ye Shuzhen glared at Hongji.


    ¡°Enough, even eating a meal can¡¯t be peaceful. Your brother is right; you are grown-up yet not as well-behaved as the children.¡±


    Hongji¡¯s father spoke up, siding with justice for the first time.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 28 - Chapter 28: Chapter 28 It is Right for Us to Eat Our Fill

    Chapter 28: Chapter 28 It is Right for Us to Eat Our Fill


    Hongji¡¯s father¡¯s words provided Hongji with a little comfort, as he knew there was someone who understood his grievances.


    Since their father had spoken, Ye Shuzhen and Ye Shuzhi dared not speak and buried their heads in eating.


    Mrs. Lai had spent so much money today, how could she spend time eating? She ate quickly, even snatching up the last of the crust from the pot.


    Hongji felt that having eaten dry rice today, he finally had some energy. When he returned to his room, he saw his eldest daughter had already fed his youngest daughter, and the other daughters were licking their bowls with their tongues.


    Hongji sighed inwardly, the children usually didn¡¯t have enough to eat. It was rare for them to have meat, and they even licked their bowls clean.


    Hongji let the children eat their fill and then go to sleep.


    Daya quietly took her and her sister¡¯s bowls outside, knowing that the bowls on the kitchen table definitely hadn¡¯t been washed.


    When Daya arrived in the kitchen, no one had cleaned up the dishes, and no one was there. She silently gathered the dishes, wiped the table, and washed the dishes.


    Daya didn¡¯t take a nap when she returned to her room. Her mother had gone out to work as a housekeeper. Without her mother to help sew and mend, and with the light too dim at night, she could only use the time during the midday nap to mend the torn clothes.


    Daya¡¯s skills, of course, were learned from Mrs. Li. Mending clothes, embroidering handkerchiefs, and making shoes, she managed well, but making clothes was somewhat difficult for her.


    Er Ya was learning alongside her. Lu Hong was a craft that every girl had to learn, except for Siya and Qing. The three sisters held needles and thread in their hands, creating small handkerchiefs and attempting to embroider simple flowers on them.


    Some silk thread had been brought back by their mother the last time she came home.


    Siwa glanced a few times at her elder sisters doing needlework, watching until she fell asleep.


    Ye Shiqi, just over three months old, also didn¡¯t have much to sleep. Faced with the incomprehensible needlework, she felt dizzy watching it and eventually fell asleep.


    Er Ya and Sanya were not as skilled as Daya. They merely held the needle and thread and practiced on scraps of fabric, resulting in crooked and twisted embroidery.


    Daya kept giving directions from the side. With her mother absent, she had become the instructor, teaching her sisters every detail of life.


    The dinner was still prepared by Mrs. Lai, including dishes cooked with pork cracklings. This time, Mrs. Lai was a bit more shrewd, giving her son one piece of meat, her elderly husband two pieces of meat, and dividing one piece of meat each among the three of them. The children could only watch.


    Daya and her four sisters, having dry rice and a bit of vegetable with their meat, were happy. They also took their youngest sister¡¯s bowl back to the room.


    Ye Shiqi, only three months old, should normally have only two or three teeth, or about six teeth, while some might not get their teeth until eight or nine months old.


    Yet, she already had eight teeth, all of them front teeth, and could only use her front teeth to eat the dry rice.


    Having dry rice to eat was still better than just having water.


    Knowing that the rice for the dry rice was bought by Mrs. Lai from the town, the stingy grandmother spent a lot of money on things.


    Ye Shiqi noted internally that the money used to buy things was earned by their mother¡¯s hard work, so it should afford them enough food and warm clothes.


    After dinner, Ye Shuying took a fire branch and came again to her mother¡¯s house in the courtyard.


    Daya was washing dishes in the kitchen, and Er Ya was also there helping to cook pig rice.


    Sanya was accompanying Qing and Wuya in the room.


    Hongji and his father took advantage of the dim light of the oil lamp to finish the last bit of work.


    Mrs. Lai, having eaten her fill, returned to her room to eat melon seeds.


    Ye Shuzhi and Ye Shuzhen also went into the room to join their mother in eating melon seeds, which Mrs. Lai had found in the goods she bought from the town, thinking they were a gift from a prospective son-in-law. The mother was so joyful that she didn¡¯t even think about the children at home.


    ¡°Dad, elder brother, mom, Er Ya, Third Sister.¡±


    Ye Shuying stood in the courtyard, watching her family members. Seeing that her mother and sisters didn¡¯t invite her to eat melon seeds, she felt annoyed.


    ¡°Shuying is here!¡± Hongji said indifferently, realizing that his sister must have come because she needed help.


    ¡°Dad, Brother, tomorrow our family is harvesting the rice, you must come help!¡± Ye Shuying had no hopes for her mother and sisters; she only hoped her beloved father and brother would soften their hearts.


    ¡°No, tomorrow we are also harvesting rice at our place, we have to finish our own chores, and besides, your sister¡¯s dowry isn¡¯t ready yet, our family is also very busy.¡±


    Hongji¡¯s father had long distinguished his own interests at home from those of his daughter.


    ¡°Shuying, you see, we are working through the night, we are really busy. Why don¡¯t you come help us, and once we¡¯re done, we can help at your place? It¡¯s feasible to help each other out like this.¡±


    In the past, when this sister said she needed help, especially asking him and his wife to assist, they would help out without even having a meal, knowing how stingy their in-laws were.


    Ever since Mrs. Li had gone to work as a housekeeper, Hongji had started doing some of the work his wife used to do, finding it very tiring and realizing how hard he had been on her.


    Hongji felt a slight guilt, caring a bit more for his wife than before, which made him backtalk whenever his parents and sister talked down to her.


    ¡°Dad, Brother, how can you be so heartless? Mom, you¡¯re not even speaking up for me, you don¡¯t even come to help with the kids anymore, didn¡¯t you always love my son the most?¡±


    Ye Shuying, unable to persuade her father and brother, and seeing her mother and sisters continue eating melon seeds and staying silent while watching her, felt such hatred.


    ¡°Shuying, you know how many responsibilities we have at home. Your sister-in-law has gone to work as a wet nurse, and with her absence, there¡¯s so much more to do at home. As the saying goes, ¡®A married daughter is like water splashed out of the house,¡¯ think about it yourself!¡±


    Before, most of the chores were done by her son-in-law and her daughter-in-law, Mrs. Li. Mrs. Lai and her daughters hardly did anything at home. But in these two months since Mrs. Li had left to work as a housekeeper, she and her daughters had much more to do at home.


    The harvest concerned the food supply of the household; everyone had their own interests to look after and prioritized their own work, even if it meant rejecting their own daughter.


    ¡°Wuwu, are you even my family anymore?¡± Ye Shuying wept in the courtyard.


    ¡°Shuying, didn¡¯t your brother just say? Our families can help each other out. This is your parental home after all. We¡¯ll go help with your work, but your family doesn¡¯t help us, that¡¯s unreasonable. How can you still cry shamelessly?¡±


    Hongji¡¯s father had accumulated a lot of resentment toward his son-in-law over the years from the incidents that had piled up.


    In other homes, the son-in-law usually helps his father-in-law, but Ye Shuying¡¯s husband constantly needed her family¡¯s help and never reciprocated.


    ¡°Dad, my husband said he has to work on a building site, and only has these two days for farm work. If you don¡¯t help, our work won¡¯t finish, and since he can¡¯t finish his own chores, how can he come to help?¡±


    Ye Shuying found excuses, although her husband actually wanted her family to finish the work first so he could rest at home during the extra time, which had always been the case for years, and she also felt sorry for her husband working so hard on construction sites.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you see? Aren¡¯t your father and brother busy? He has an elder sister who works overtime in the town, right? Let his elder sister come to help. We can¡¯t be the only ones helping; we¡¯ve done too much as relatives already,¡± Mrs. Lai finally voiced her buried thoughts.

 Chapter 29 - Chapter 28: Chapter 28 It is Right for Us to Eat Our Fill

    Chapter 28: Chapter 28 It is Right for Us to Eat Our Fill


    Hongji¡¯s father¡¯s words provided Hongji with a little comfort, as he knew there was someone who understood his grievances.


    Since their father had spoken, Ye Shuzhen and Ye Shuzhi dared not speak and buried their heads in eating.


    Mrs. Lai had spent so much money today, how could she spend time eating? She ate quickly, even snatching up the last of the crust from the pot.


    Hongji felt that having eaten dry rice today, he finally had some energy. When he returned to his room, he saw his eldest daughter had already fed his youngest daughter, and the other daughters were licking their bowls with their tongues.


    Hongji sighed inwardly, the children usually didn¡¯t have enough to eat. It was rare for them to have meat, and they even licked their bowls clean.


    Hongji let the children eat their fill and then go to sleep.


    Daya quietly took her and her sister¡¯s bowls outside, knowing that the bowls on the kitchen table definitely hadn¡¯t been washed.


    When Daya arrived in the kitchen, no one had cleaned up the dishes, and no one was there. She silently gathered the dishes, wiped the table, and washed the dishes.


    Daya didn¡¯t take a nap when she returned to her room. Her mother had gone out to work as a housekeeper. Without her mother to help sew and mend, and with the light too dim at night, she could only use the time during the midday nap to mend the torn clothes.


    Daya¡¯s skills, of course, were learned from Mrs. Li. Mending clothes, embroidering handkerchiefs, and making shoes, she managed well, but making clothes was somewhat difficult for her.


    Er Ya was learning alongside her. Lu Hong was a craft that every girl had to learn, except for Siya and Qing. The three sisters held needles and thread in their hands, creating small handkerchiefs and attempting to embroider simple flowers on them.


    Some silk thread had been brought back by their mother the last time she came home.


    Siwa glanced a few times at her elder sisters doing needlework, watching until she fell asleep.


    Ye Shiqi, just over three months old, also didn¡¯t have much to sleep. Faced with the incomprehensible needlework, she felt dizzy watching it and eventually fell asleep.


    Er Ya and Sanya were not as skilled as Daya. They merely held the needle and thread and practiced on scraps of fabric, resulting in crooked and twisted embroidery.


    Daya kept giving directions from the side. With her mother absent, she had become the instructor, teaching her sisters every detail of life.


    The dinner was still prepared by Mrs. Lai, including dishes cooked with pork cracklings. This time, Mrs. Lai was a bit more shrewd, giving her son one piece of meat, her elderly husband two pieces of meat, and dividing one piece of meat each among the three of them. The children could only watch.


    Daya and her four sisters, having dry rice and a bit of vegetable with their meat, were happy. They also took their youngest sister¡¯s bowl back to the room.


    Ye Shiqi, only three months old, should normally have only two or three teeth, or about six teeth, while some might not get their teeth until eight or nine months old.


    Yet, she already had eight teeth, all of them front teeth, and could only use her front teeth to eat the dry rice.


    Having dry rice to eat was still better than just having water.


    Knowing that the rice for the dry rice was bought by Mrs. Lai from the town, the stingy grandmother spent a lot of money on things.


    Ye Shiqi noted internally that the money used to buy things was earned by their mother¡¯s hard work, so it should afford them enough food and warm clothes.


    After dinner, Ye Shuying took a fire branch and came again to her mother¡¯s house in the courtyard.


    Daya was washing dishes in the kitchen, and Er Ya was also there helping to cook pig rice.


    Sanya was accompanying Qing and Wuya in the room.


    Hongji and his father took advantage of the dim light of the oil lamp to finish the last bit of work.


    Mrs. Lai, having eaten her fill, returned to her room to eat melon seeds.


    Ye Shuzhi and Ye Shuzhen also went into the room to join their mother in eating melon seeds, which Mrs. Lai had found in the goods she bought from the town, thinking they were a gift from a prospective son-in-law. The mother was so joyful that she didn¡¯t even think about the children at home.


    ¡°Dad, elder brother, mom, Er Ya, Third Sister.¡±


    Ye Shuying stood in the courtyard, watching her family members. Seeing that her mother and sisters didn¡¯t invite her to eat melon seeds, she felt annoyed.


    ¡°Shuying is here!¡± Hongji said indifferently, realizing that his sister must have come because she needed help.


    ¡°Dad, Brother, tomorrow our family is harvesting the rice, you must come help!¡± Ye Shuying had no hopes for her mother and sisters; she only hoped her beloved father and brother would soften their hearts.


    ¡°No, tomorrow we are also harvesting rice at our place, we have to finish our own chores, and besides, your sister¡¯s dowry isn¡¯t ready yet, our family is also very busy.¡±


    Hongji¡¯s father had long distinguished his own interests at home from those of his daughter.


    ¡°Shuying, you see, we are working through the night, we are really busy. Why don¡¯t you come help us, and once we¡¯re done, we can help at your place? It¡¯s feasible to help each other out like this.¡±


    In the past, when this sister said she needed help, especially asking him and his wife to assist, they would help out without even having a meal, knowing how stingy their in-laws were.


    Ever since Mrs. Li had gone to work as a housekeeper, Hongji had started doing some of the work his wife used to do, finding it very tiring and realizing how hard he had been on her.


    Hongji felt a slight guilt, caring a bit more for his wife than before, which made him backtalk whenever his parents and sister talked down to her.


    ¡°Dad, Brother, how can you be so heartless? Mom, you¡¯re not even speaking up for me, you don¡¯t even come to help with the kids anymore, didn¡¯t you always love my son the most?¡±


    Ye Shuying, unable to persuade her father and brother, and seeing her mother and sisters continue eating melon seeds and staying silent while watching her, felt such hatred.


    ¡°Shuying, you know how many responsibilities we have at home. Your sister-in-law has gone to work as a wet nurse, and with her absence, there¡¯s so much more to do at home. As the saying goes, ¡®A married daughter is like water splashed out of the house,¡¯ think about it yourself!¡±


    Before, most of the chores were done by her son-in-law and her daughter-in-law, Mrs. Li. Mrs. Lai and her daughters hardly did anything at home. But in these two months since Mrs. Li had left to work as a housekeeper, she and her daughters had much more to do at home.


    The harvest concerned the food supply of the household; everyone had their own interests to look after and prioritized their own work, even if it meant rejecting their own daughter.


    ¡°Wuwu, are you even my family anymore?¡± Ye Shuying wept in the courtyard.


    ¡°Shuying, didn¡¯t your brother just say? Our families can help each other out. This is your parental home after all. We¡¯ll go help with your work, but your family doesn¡¯t help us, that¡¯s unreasonable. How can you still cry shamelessly?¡±


    Hongji¡¯s father had accumulated a lot of resentment toward his son-in-law over the years from the incidents that had piled up.


    In other homes, the son-in-law usually helps his father-in-law, but Ye Shuying¡¯s husband constantly needed her family¡¯s help and never reciprocated.


    ¡°Dad, my husband said he has to work on a building site, and only has these two days for farm work. If you don¡¯t help, our work won¡¯t finish, and since he can¡¯t finish his own chores, how can he come to help?¡±


    Ye Shuying found excuses, although her husband actually wanted her family to finish the work first so he could rest at home during the extra time, which had always been the case for years, and she also felt sorry for her husband working so hard on construction sites.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you see? Aren¡¯t your father and brother busy? He has an elder sister who works overtime in the town, right? Let his elder sister come to help. We can¡¯t be the only ones helping; we¡¯ve done too much as relatives already,¡± Mrs. Lai finally voiced her buried thoughts.

 Chapter 30 - Chapter 30: Chapter 30 Busy Farming Season Arrives (Massive Release 1, Seeking Support)

    Chapter 30: Chapter 30 Busy Farming Season Arrives (Massive Release 1, Seeking Support)


    Hongji¡¯s father stopped painting and went to smoke bamboo cigarettes instead, and while his wife and son were talking, he didn¡¯t utter a single word.


    Daya had Er Ya and Sanya put the bags of wood they had gathered into their room. Her younger sister had asked for toys this time, and they were not to be left outside, to prevent their grandmother from using them as firewood.


    Ye Shiqi realized that her father, who had a bit of conscience before, was increasingly standing up for her and her sisters, proving to be a good father. He was just a little too blindly filial, but that could slowly be changed.


    After finishing the paint job, Hongji hurried to take a bath. The smell of the paint was strong, and he didn¡¯t want to bring the odor back into the room and affect the children.


    The next morning, before it was light out, Mrs. Lai got up and knocked on the door. Hongji woke up, washed his face, picked up two loads of water to pour into the water tank, and went with his father to cut the rice crop.


    At home, Mrs. Lai hurried Daya, taking her five younger sisters to the rice field. The older ones helped with cutting the rice, while the younger ones helped by picking it up.


    ¡°Grandma, should Qing go too? She¡¯s so little. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to leave her at home? Please look after her, Grandma,¡± Daya said, feeling sorry for her little sister who was also being taken to the fields. In the mountainous fields, there would be insects, and what could such a small child, who could not even walk, do?


    ¡°You impertinent girl, giving me orders. I don¡¯t want to have to watch over a money-losing proposition while I need to cook at home.¡±


    When Mrs. Lai said this, her eyes flickered. She hadn¡¯t agreed to her eldest daughter¡¯s request from yesterday, but later that evening, she thought that if she didn¡¯t help her older daughter with the children, her daughter might someday not acknowledge her as her mother, or even forbid her from seeing her grandchildren. How could she allow that?


    Mrs. Lai decided to let Daya take even the youngest with them to the fields, so she would have time to help her eldest daughter with her children.


    Daya glanced at her aunts¡¯ rooms, which were still closed. She didn¡¯t dare call them, afraid of getting hit. She had no choice but to carry Qing on her back, have Er Ya carry a back basket, and Sanya carry one too. Siwa, with his hands empty, held onto his sister¡¯s hand, and together they went to the fields outside the mountains.


    Just as dawn was lightening the sky, they set off through the mist. Normally, they would have breakfast before going to the fields, but today they had a heavy task of cutting the rice, so they set out to work before coming back for breakfast.


    Sitting on her elder sister¡¯s back, Shiqi saw the fields for the first time ¨C she had been too engrossed in books for the past three months.


    Enduring days of hunger and inadequate clothing, Shiqi finally got to see the outside sun, and she felt today was a great opportunity.


    Now that she was able to get up, she could enter the ¡°space¡± to farm. She could sit and plant with her own hands, and as she grew, the well of ¡°Spiritual Spring¡± in the space had expanded a bit, and her apprentice already had a room as large as that of her family home, ready to plant rice or other crops.


    Shiqi had no experience in farming and hadn¡¯t found any seeds before, but taking advantage of today¡¯s outing, she planned to plant useful crops in the space. She couldn¡¯t let herself go hungry any longer.


    In the warm sun of the morning, drenched in dew, there were others going to cut the rice in that harvest month of October.


    When Daya and her sisters arrived at the edge of the field, their father and grandfather had already cut many bundles of rice and left them in the field.


    Daya spread out a sack on the path by the field and gently laid Wuwa on the ground, softly saying,


    ¡°Qing, be good, okay?¡±


    Shiqi nodded her head. Daya wasn¡¯t sure if she understood, but she instructed Siwa to watch over her, fearing that Qing, not knowing any better, might crawl towards the water ditch on the side.


    Daya took Er Ya and Sanya down to the field with her.


    Hongji, who was bending over cutting the rice, straightened up at the sound. Seeing his eldest daughter arriving with the little ones, he scolded them with a stern expression,


    ¡°Daya, why did you bring Siwa and Qing as well? Aren¡¯t your grandmother and aunts still not out yet?¡±


    ¡°Father, it was Grandma who asked me to bring the younger sisters out. Aunt and the others haven¡¯t even gotten up yet,¡± Daya said, holding a sickle and lowering her head in distress.


    Er Ya and Sanya went to pick up the rice grains that had fallen to the ground and put them in the bamboo basket.


    ¡°Hongji, don¡¯t scold the children. Let¡¯s harvest more rice and carry it back after breakfast, and have the children stay at home,¡± Hongji¡¯s father said, not wanting to say more. He might have guessed some of the thoughts of Mrs. Lai and her daughters, sighing in his heart.


    Hongji could only tell his eldest daughter to be careful and continued to bend over to harvest the rice.


    The weather in October was a bit drier, and the farmers knew it was about time to harvest the rice. The walkways were no longer being watered, so the fields were not muddy. Adults and children stepping in the fields only got their cotton shoes wet with dew.


    Ye Shiqi¡¯s gaze followed her elder sisters and grandfather, father working, and she also saw on the edge of the field where a mouse had eaten rice grains, leaving behind the husks.


    Idly sitting there, she wore the straw hat her elder sister had put on her. She couldn¡¯t just sit there counting ants forever.


    Her gaze moved from the rice fields to the mountainside; she noticed the pine trees.


    With her sharp eyes, she saw a bird¡¯s nest in a big tree. Glancing at Siwa beside her, Siwa was absentmindedly looking at the adults and elder sisters working with the rice.


    Ye Shiqi, feeling an itch in her hands, reached out and picked a leaf from a small tree nearby. Suddenly, a line of text appeared in her mind.


    Riberry, also known as taojin niang, the whole plant is used as medicine, with effects such as promoting blood circulation, relieving diarrhea, and stopping bleeding.


    Then her mind overflowed with images of hillsides covered with pink taojin niang blooms and fruit everywhere.


    Ye Shiqi was stunned by the sudden appearance of words and images in her mind. She had never known such a plant before, so why could she recognize the species now?


    Her heart skipped a beat, could this be another aspect of the Golden Finger?


    To confirm whether this was indeed the Golden Finger, Ye Shiqi directed Siwa to pick some wildflowers by the roadside for her.


    She encountered a variety of wild daisy, saw something resembling wild orchids, and even found honeysuckle.


    They all thrived on the edge of the mountain, by the water ditches. Growing vigorously without any fertilizer, much like weeds, they flourished effortlessly.


    ¡°An¡¯gui an¡¯gui,¡± Ye Shiqi muttered an incomprehensible phrase, crawling on her hands and knees, pointing at the blooming wild daisies, wild orchids, and the vines of honeysuckle. It was nearing the end of the honeysuckle¡¯s blooming season, with only a few flowers left and some withered ones.


    ¡°Little sister, such pretty flowers. Hehe, Siwa likes flowers too. I¡¯ll help you pick them, and we can all play together,¡± Wuwa obediently offered to go and pick the flowers, but Daya, who was busy harvesting rice, occasionally stood up to check on her two younger sisters.


    Worrying that the young girls might wander off and end up playing in the water.


    ¡°Siya, why are you going towards the water ditch? Stop, what if you fall in?¡± Daya called out as she hastily ran back from the field, stepping unevenly through the muddy paddies.


    Hongji, hearing Daya¡¯s voice, also turned to look. He saw that the youngest child was still obediently sitting, and Siwa, normally so sensible, had run off toward the water ditch.


    The honest man was anxious, fearful for a child falling into the water, and he too ran over.

 Chapter 31 - Chapter 31: Chapter 31 Bees (Second Explosive Update, Seeking Support)

    Chapter 31: Chapter 31 Bees (Second Explosive Update, Seeking Support)


    ¡°This¡­ is worrying,¡± Hongji¡¯s father sighed as he saw the scene, swallowing the words he wanted to scold.


    The safety of the kids, a concern he bore as a grandfather, poor people can¡¯t afford to get sick.


    Another reason he dare not scold was that his wife and daughters hadn¡¯t come to work, yet all the kids had shown up, making him somewhat embarrassed by the looks from the villagers working in the fields.


    Siya heard her elder sister¡¯s call and obediently stopped, waiting for her sister and father to come over.


    ¡°Siya, weren¡¯t you supposed to watch your little sister? Why did you disobey and go play in the water?¡± Daya picked up Siwa, intending to head back, her sickle still in her other hand, fearing she might accidentally hurt her sister.


    Er Ya and Sanya were picking up fallen rice grains in the field. Seeing something was up, they both stopped and looked over.


    ¡°Elder sister, Wuwa wants to pick flowers,¡± Siwa mentioned as her elder sister carried her away, not forgetting the flowers Wuwa had mentioned wanting.


    ¡°Those flowers¡­¡± Daya wanted to say not to pick them, they didn¡¯t have time to play.


    ¡°Daya, take your sister back first, dad will pick the wildflowers for you.¡±


    Hongji had already reached the edge of the ditch to pick boughs of honeysuckle and wild daisy.


    ¡°Be careful, be careful,¡± Shiqi pointed out the wild orchid to her father while continuously gesturing.


    Hongji looked at Wuwa, trying hard to understand what she was saying but couldn¡¯t make out her alien language.


    ¡°Dad, Wuwa said she wants to uproot that flower to plant it,¡±


    Daya, always thoughtful, had been looking after her sister all along and understood more of this mute language.


    ¡°Wuwa is so young, what is she planting flowers for? It¡¯s not good to plant such wildflowers in our yard; it¡¯s better to plant a melon,¡± Hongji said, his hands, however, contradicted his words, digging up even the orchid¡¯s roots with his sickle.


    ¡°Hehehe,¡± Shiqi watched her father, who verbally refused but indulged his child, realizing that her father could indeed be cultivated further.


    ¡°Are you happy now? Don¡¯t have your Fourth Sister go picking flowers anymore, and you don¡¯t move either, what if you fall into the ditch? Just sit quietly, okay?¡±


    Hongji placed the stems of the wild daisy, honeysuckle, and a red wild orchid in front of the little child.


    This man thought to himself at this moment, such a young child wouldn¡¯t think about planting flowers, she must just want to destroy them.


    Hongji then called on Daya to continue harvesting rice grains.


    Shiqi¡¯s eyes followed her father and sister as they continued to harvest, and she thought of something, How long will they keep harvesting rice by hand?


    She, previously a wealthy girl, as the saying goes, hadn¡¯t seen a pig run but had eaten pork; she knew farmers had a machine called a harvester, but such modern equipment wasn¡¯t available now.


    Neither had she seen a human-powered threshing machine, were her grandfather and father planning to bundle up the harvested rice and carry it back to thresh?


    Considering the weight of the rice seedlings and the grains, no wonder it took several days to work two acres of land.


    With a harvester, perhaps even two acres would be done in an hour?


    Alas, in this backward era, an unknown dynasty from the books, without modern machinery, everything had to be done by hand, making work difficult.


    Shiqi once searched online, how much rice do farmers harvest per acre?


    She later found out, if the harvest was good, one acre could yield over a thousand pounds.


    She looked at the rice seedlings in the field, which were not very lush, the rice didn¡¯t seem to be very abundant. Could this acre yield a thousand pounds?


    We also saw that some rice seedlings had flat rice grains; having 500 catties per acre was already not bad.


    No wonder, even with two acres of land, planting two seasons a year still wasn¡¯t enough to feed the family with so many mouths to feed, and they weren¡¯t applying scientific farming methods; these past few months had been managed by the children.


    Ye Shiqi felt that them having a harvest from these two acres was already quite good and she admired her elder sisters for their virtues.


    ¡°Buzz, buzz, buzz¡±


    A little honeybee flew towards Ye Shiqi, and then several more honeybees started circling quickly above her.


    ¡°Insects!¡± Siwa, frightened, trembled slightly; the small child was afraid of insects and had never seen insects bigger than mosquitoes, which looked quite terrifying.


    Ye Shiqi was initially scared too, thinking these insects were coming to sting her. She had heard shortly after birth, her elder sisters discussing how Mrs. Li had been stung by a wasp and had ended up swollen like a pig¡¯s head with hands and feet all puffy. It had been by these yellow things that she had been stung.


    Upon closer inspection, these didn¡¯t look like yellow wasps but rather the honeybees from the rumors. Looking at the flower in her hand, could it be that the honeybees were here for the blossoms?


    Ye Shiqi glanced at her frightened elder sister, who was covering her eyes and head. She suddenly thought of a brilliant idea; could she store these creatures in her ¡°space¡±? Perhaps then she could have honey from the bees?


    While her elder sister was covering her head and dared not look, Ye Shiqi silently muttered a command, and both the flower and honeybees were stored into her space.


    ¡°Where are the insects?¡±


    It was only when Siwa no longer heard the buzzing sound that she moved her hands away from her eyes, saw that the insects were indeed gone, and finally thought to check on her younger sister.


    ¡°Wuya, are you alright?¡±


    Ye Shiqi¡¯s response to her elder sister was just an eye roll; shouldn¡¯t her sister have chosen to protect her first when faced with danger?


    ¡°Hehe, the insects are gone.¡± Siwa, carefree, took Wuya¡¯s hand and began laughing happily.


    Ye Shiqi let Wuya hold her hand while she continued to observe the beauty of nature.


    Just as she had expected, after leaving the rice for a while, grandfather, father, and her elder sister started bundling up the rice. Grandfather and father were both carrying the rice, placing one end of the sheaves in a basket to prevent the grains from falling to the ground.


    Daya also carried a lighter load, leaving the responsibility of carrying Wuya to Er Ya.


    Carrying the dew-laden rice was rather heavy. They jogged with their burdens, struggling a bit, and after they had returned to eat breakfast, they came back here to work.


    Along the way, the villagers who worked like them were all rushing past, too busy to even exchange greetings.


    When they all returned home, the adults set down the rice in the courtyard, preparing for it to be threshed.


    Hongji saw his two sisters eating in the kitchen. His mother was nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°Er Ya, Sanya, you¡¯ll have to thresh these grains later,¡± Hongji said.


    Hongji had originally planned to have Er Ya and Sanya help cut the rice, but seeing his mother absent and guessing she must have gone to his eldest sister¡¯s place, he sighed inwardly, feeling helpless.


    ¡°Okay,¡±


    Ye Shuzhi and Ye Shuzhen, hearing they could stay indoors rather than go out in the sun, both nodded happily.


    ¡°Where¡¯s mother?¡± Hongji¡¯s father entered the kitchen to have breakfast and didn¡¯t find his wife.


    ¡°Mother just went out, said she¡¯d be back by lunch,¡± Ye Shuzhi paused her meal and looked at her father. Her expression conveyed a message of not speaking ill of her own mother, believing that her father would understand.

 Chapter 32 - Chapter 32: Chapter 32 Every Grain Is Hard-Earned (Fourth Update)

    Chapter 32: Chapter 32 Every Grain Is Hard-Earned (Fourth Update)


    ¡°Humph, not doing their own chores,¡± Hongji¡¯s father grumbled, before eating, he took some puffs of his bamboo tobacco pipe to satisfy his craving, and then he began his meal.


    Daya led her younger sisters to wash their hands, and while she ate, she also fed the youngest sister.


    Previously, when Er Ya saw wild daisies, wild orchids, and honeysuckle, she didn¡¯t notice any flowers in the youngest sister¡¯s hands during the time she carried her. She didn¡¯t find it strange, assuming Qing must have thrown the flowers into a ditch.


    Siwa, with a simple and unclear mind, didn¡¯t pay attention and thought Wuya might have unknowingly lost the flowers while playing.


    Daya was even less observant, her thoughts aligned with her father¡¯s¡ªWuwa planting flowers? More like destroying them. She was sure the flowers had been discarded long ago.


    Er Ya and Sanya diligently picked up the fallen rice grains from the field. This was the fruit of their and their sisters¡¯ labor, every grain was treasured.


    While collecting these grains, the two children hoped that, after the harvest, they could eat dry rice every day and no longer have to endure the watery porridge that left their bellies growling with hunger and their bodies weak.


    When Siwa wasn¡¯t paying attention, Ye Shiqi threw the wild daisy and honeysuckle vines, as well as the wild orchids into her ¡°space¡±.


    While Er Ya carried her, she took a handful of rice grains from the bamboo basket in Er Ya¡¯s hands and threw them into the soil of her ¡°space¡±, then scattered a little more, thinking it wasn¡¯t enough.


    Then she silently wished for the ¡°Spiritual Spring¡± in the space to automatically water her sown seeds and the flowers she had just thrown into her space.


    The bees collected in the space gathered honey from the blossoms there, and the plants rooted in the space grew rapidly. What were once just cuttings, like the wild daisy, had now blossomed into a dense patch with many flowers.


    Wild orchids also thrived into secretive, dense patches, with their fragrance wafting through the air.


    And then there was honeysuckle, although not many vines had grown, one plant was lush enough to form a dense mesh of branches and buds, some awaiting bloom and others already unfurling their petals¡ªa golden variety of honeysuckle.


    Such change in the space didn¡¯t affect that ¡°Spiritual Spring,¡± nor hinder the sprouting rice seedlings in another area of the space¡ªtheir growth stayed separate, without competing.


    Ye Shiqi, planting for the first time, felt a sense of accomplishment. So, this was another way to farm, with the joy of planting something tangible to enjoy.


    After breakfast, Hongji arranged for Siwa to take Qing and stay in the room, no longer going to the fields.


    He was worried that the two younger girls would get sunburnt. On their way back, they had come across many villagers who gossiped and asked why he was taking so many young children to the fields.


    ¡°Where is his mother, his sisters?¡±


    Hongji and his father didn¡¯t know how to respond, they vaguely replied, not daring to say that the adults were at home while they sent the children out to work.


    These last few months, the village gossip followed their family, turning them into the most scandalous household in the village.


    Siwa obediently nodded; she was strong and starting to understand some things, capable of taking care of her sister, giving her water, carrying her to the latrine.


    With the two children at home, Hongji still worried and asked his sisters to keep an eye on them while working.


    Ye Shuzhi said nothing and did not nod; in silence, she went about her work, unwilling at heart to watch over the little ones.


    Ye Shuzhen pouted and didn¡¯t nod either, nor dared to argue with her older brother, so she chose to ignore the two little ones.


    Hongji could only sigh with worry, thinking about going to work for half an hour before carrying rice back, so that he could keep an eye on the little ones while feeling reassured about getting the work done.


    Ye Shuzhi was left to work on the threshing with her eldest brother and father away, with only the two youngest children remaining at home. Unwilling yet daring not to shirk her duty, she wielded a large stick to beat the rice.


    Ye Shuzhen glared at the two little ones, envying their young age that exempted them from work and thinking how worry-free life is as a child.


    Ye Shiqi had seen before how people from ancient times threshed rice, an entirely manual labor using a stick divided into two sections, swinging forcefully to separate the grains from the stalks.


    She felt that the poets were right, ¡°Who knows from his dinner that each grain is hard-won.¡±


    After another half hour, Hongji returned with another load of rice, followed by the footsteps of Hongji¡¯s father.


    The two men entered their courtyard and saw that Ye Shuzhi and Ye Shuzhen had already thrashed the rice they had brought back earlier and separated it from the sheaves.


    The two men placed the baskets of rice seedling in the yard before wiping their sweaty faces with their dirty sleeves.


    Hongji put down his load to drink water and filled a kettle for the children, remembering they had forgotten to bring water to the fields. Seeing them drink raw water from the irrigation ditch, he feared they might fall ill.


    Hongji¡¯s father also took a sip of water. He didn¡¯t give it much thought, as his priority at the moment was to take a couple of puffs from his bamboo tobacco pipe.


    ¡°Elder brother, father, how much more is there?¡± Ye Shuzhi asked, her hands burning painfully. A girl not used to manual labor, with hands skilled in needlework, she was distressed by the rough work that had damaged her hands.


    ¡°Father, my hands hurt. Can we wait until you have finished the work before threshing the rice?¡±


    Ye Shuzhen¡¯s hands also burned fiercely, her pain bringing her to the brink of tears, her pitiful expression causing tears to well up in her eyes.


    ¡°How can that be possible? We must thresh the rice quickly, or it will sprout and mold. We will lose our food for the future,¡± Hongji said, swiftly intervening.


    Hongji¡¯s father blew a puff of smoke from his bamboo pipe and, frowning, told his daughters, ¡°Your brother is right. When has work been without toil? You¡¯ve been coddled and rarely did any tough work, but during harvest, you cannot slack off. This grain is our lifeblood. We haven¡¯t yet harvested one-fifth of our two acres.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ wuwu, it hurts so much,¡± Ye Shuzhen dumbly stared at her palm, now wounded, and couldn¡¯t hold back her tears.


    Ye Shuzhi also felt like crying, but upon seeing the admonishing gaze of her father and elder brother, she did not dare. She moved the threshed rice to the side of the wall to dry.


    As they continued to bash the rice, dust from the stalks covered them, the chaff making their faces and hands itch intolerably.


    Hongji and his father shouldered the baskets and continued back to the fields.


    Ye Shiqi was sitting on the bed, held by Siwa. The two children dared not sit outside, partly because the aunts swinging their sticks to thresh the rice would stir up considerable dust, which could coat them and cause unbearable itching.


    Ye Shiqi didn¡¯t understand that she avoided sitting outside not because of the dust but for fear of being glared at by her aunts.


    Siwa, being slightly older, had experienced two rice harvest seasons and knew better. When younger, she didn¡¯t understand and would scratch incessantly at the itchy dust on her skin.


    She continued to pester Qing, telling her not to crawl outside.


    As the sensible elder sister, she was a responsible and caring girl.

 Chapter 33 - Chapter 33: Chapter 33 Idle Thoughts

    Chapter 33: Chapter 33 Idle Thoughts


    Ye Shiqi could only watch from the windows of her house, seeing her usually lazy aunts forced to work.


    She was puzzled, weren¡¯t ancient grains meant to be dried in the grain drying yard?


    All done by human power, there should be places designated for drying, right?


    If they were dried in the earthen ground of the yard, wouldn¡¯t all the grains be covered in dirt?


    Were there concrete grounds in ancient times, and where would they dry the grains?


    With such little sunlight in the yard, could they really dry out completely?


    Ye Shiqi was also very curious, how did they husk the rice without machinery in ancient times?


    Oh my, my, just looking at it is exhausting¡­


    Her questions were soon answered; the grains her aunts threshed were not taken elsewhere to dry.


    Instead, they took out a closely woven bamboo sieve from the storage room, filled it up, and placed it under the sunlight to dry.


    Ye Shiqi looked at the size of the yard, wondering how many sieves would be needed to dry the grains from two acres.


    If they dried all the grains from two acres in the yard, there¡¯d be no space left to walk, not to mention the heaps of rice seedlings in the corners. Why not dry them outside?


    ¡°Anju, Anju¡±


    The words that Ye Shiqi spoke seemed like an alien language to Siwa, who couldn¡¯t understand what his sister was saying, just staring at her.


    ¡°Elder sister, do you want to go outside? Don¡¯t, there¡¯s a lot of dust among the grains outside, it can be very itchy.¡±


    Hearing the non-responsive answer from her older sister, Ye Shiqi had to take care of her again, giving her water to drink and taking her to urinate.


    Although eating dry food meant not needing to urinate or defecate as often, this child¡¯s body still required plenty of water, and her digestive system was not very strong, resulting in runny stools.


    The spirit of an adult, when the urge to relieve oneself becomes pressing, can endure, but only for a limited time.


    Fortunately, her elder sister was quite good at relieving her physical discomforts.


    In her boredom, she picked up a comic book her mother had bought.


    ¡°Elder sister, I¡¯ll tell you a story¡­¡± Siwa picked up another comic book. Her memory was quite good; she recalled the stories their father had told them. She wasn¡¯t very fluent, sometimes even missing a word or two in the stories, but she enjoyed this activity very much.


    As Ye Shiqi listened to Siwa tell stories, she looked at the comic book in her hands, knowing well that a word or two might be missing in the spoken sentences.


    It was a bit of a pity that Siwa, only two years old, had such good memory ¨C in this era, girls couldn¡¯t take the imperial examinations.


    If it were her past life¡¯s world, she would likely qualify for a university education or higher.


    Learning depended wholly on one¡¯s memory; no matter how hardworking you were, it was no use if you couldn¡¯t remember.


    Ye Shiqi, in her previous life, came from a wealthy family and attended an advanced school for girls, not taking the imperial examinations. But in these affluent schools, despite the lack of emphasis on grades, with such formidable teachers, you couldn¡¯t learn if your memory wasn¡¯t up to par.


    She relied on her good memory and often indulged in play, a typical rich kid¡¯s habit.


    After graduating from high school, she did not pursue university studies domestically but set out to study abroad, landing in an unfamiliar country.


    Her high school English teacher was from France.


    She learned English well and also studied French with the teacher during her spare time.


    Later, when she went to France for further studies, neither English nor French posed a challenge for her. Another reason for not attending university in her homeland was to avoid dealing with her stepmother.


    Abroad, under the wide sky, she spent her father¡¯s money and didn¡¯t have to work part-time, unlike others.


    Ye Shiqi studied business administration in university, but she loved painting and was even fonder of music. In France, she met a Chinese music enthusiast who played the pipa exquisitely.


    Ye Shiqi learned to play too, a musical hobby. While others played guitar, she played the pipa. While they played the piano, she learned the classical instrument, the Guqin.


    When other students learned oil painting, she practiced ink painting and wrote large characters.


    She was mocked by her Western classmates for her taste.

 Chapter 34 - Chapter 34: Chapter 34 Too Idle

    Chapter 34: Chapter 34 Too Idle


    Ye Shiqi felt that if she liked something, she shouldn¡¯t do it just because someone else wanted her to. She had her own dreams and ambitions.


    To do what she liked, regardless of what others said or laughed at, one shouldn¡¯t care too much. Life would be more peaceful and comfortable that way.


    After graduating from college, she didn¡¯t immediately go on to study for a master¡¯s or doctorate; instead, she chose to return to her hometown, which made her classmates ridicule her for giving up a promising future.


    But what of it? Everyone has people and things they care about in life.


    It was because she heard that her stepmother¡¯s biological daughter had entered her father¡¯s company to manage it, with what seemed like designs on taking over the family property. She couldn¡¯t let her ambition-filled sister take everything that belonged to her.


    Ye Shiqi returned to China once more and asked her father for a Ferrari and to intern at the company.


    Then she arranged to hang out with her close friend from high school for a week, having the time of their lives.


    Of course, that included clubbing, spending time in internet cafes, and watching shows and reading novels with her friend in her room.


    Her father agreed to her terms and bought her a red car.


    But during her test drive, Ye Shiqi, confused and disoriented, found herself in the world of a novel she had read.


    As she drank water every day in this world within the book, she couldn¡¯t help but think whether her cunning sister had succeeded in her absence from her own world.


    Taking over the family property that belonged to her and probably gloating about it with satisfaction.


    Sigh¡­ These old memories could now only be reflected upon during idle moments. She must have had too much idle time as a kid to entertain such wild thoughts.


    Hongji and his father returned with another load of rice an hour later.


    When they stepped into the yard and saw the already sun-drying rice in the winnowing basket and that the rice seedlings they had caught earlier had been threshed, father and son, both tired and sweaty, felt a sense of relief and placed the basket in the yard.


    ¡°Where¡¯s your mother?¡± Hongji¡¯s father wiped his sweat, drank some water again and, not seeing his wife, felt a hint of annoyance brewing.


    Hongji didn¡¯t bother to ask. He was already used to his mother favoring his elder sister, yet he wondered in his heart whether she would return to cook or not.


    ¡°Mom hasn¡¯t come back yet,¡± Ye Shuzhi said, sitting under the eaves to catch a breeze, her expression unhappy as she had just realized her phone had gotten blisters and was painfully hot to the touch, some parts even peeling. She had applied some medicinal oil to relieve the pain.


    ¡°Really, it¡¯s almost time to cook and Mom still isn¡¯t back,¡± Ye Shuzhen complained, sitting next to her sister. Her hands, like her sister¡¯s, had blisters in the palms and on all five fingers, and it hurt where the skin had peeled off.


    Hongji¡¯s father sighed inwardly and called his son back to work.


    Mrs. Lai came into the yard not long after Hongji and his father had left, spotting her two daughters working and the rice already spread out on the winnowing baskets.


    Her plump face broke into a smile as she praised the two sisters,


    ¡°Er Niu, San Niu, you two have worked hard today. Your mother will make you something delicious to eat right away.¡±


    ¡°Mother, you¡¯re back? Look at our hands from working, they¡¯re all covered in blisters, and it hurts so much,¡± Ye Shuzhen said with a complainant and coquettish tone, putting down the stick she held.


    ¡°`


    ¡°Mom, we¡¯re so tired from working, our hands are raw, and our bodies itch. Let the remaining work be yours! Don¡¯t go to elder sister¡¯s place this afternoon.¡± Ye Shuzhi complained and wanted to shirk the current task.


    ¡°Er Niu, San Niu, be good! Continue working this afternoon. Your elder sister¡¯s family is also harvesting rice, and Mom needs to take her little nephew.¡± Mrs. Lai said as she left to help her daughter and babysit her grandson, she was actually shirking the heavy labor; even at her eldest daughter¡¯s, she was just there to babysit.


    Seeing her mother-in-law pounding rice in the courtyard and asking her to help, she declined, using childcare as an excuse.


    She internally ridiculed her mother-in-law, who usually loaded her daughter with so much work, but now also had to work for the sake of food, didn¡¯t she?


    Mrs. Lai ignored the resentful looks from her daughters, making them finish their tasks, even though they were usually reluctant to cook; at this moment, they obediently went into the kitchen to prepare the meal.


    Daya, leading her two younger sisters, carried baskets of rice they had picked from the fields on their backs.


    During the busy farming season, all the children from every household did the same, not a single grain could be wasted in the fields.


    Hongji let the children go home first while he and his father took advantage of the time before lunch to do more work.


    Looking at an acre of land, they had already managed to work on more than a third of it since the morning, which was quite an accomplishment.


    Their family¡¯s fields were scattered, a few parts here, a few there. The land, inherited from their ancestors, wasn¡¯t the best quality. The richest and most fertile farmland was in the hands of the rich man.


    Many villagers had no other livelihoods, no land of their own, just barren upland to be reclaimed, so they had no choice but to rent the rich farmland from the rich family.


    A season¡¯s strenuous work, after paying the rent, left them with little to spare, and that was if the weather was good.


    If they faced natural disasters or cataclysms that resulted in a total crop failure, they couldn¡¯t pay the rent, and that would be a disaster.


    Fortunately, in this area, with its clear mountains and waters, the weather had been favorable for years, with no floods or locust plagues. The villagers lived in poverty but managed to scrape by day to day.


    Hongji and his father stopped their work only when the sun reached its zenith, bringing back the rice that they had harvested.


    The remaining work could only be done in the afternoon. He envied the rich family who had a threshing machine, allowing those who had rented their fields to cut the rice and leave it in the field, taking turns to use the machine.


    It would save them the trouble unlike him and his father, who had to carry even the rice seedlings back, while in other families the straw could be left in the field to dry before being brought back home, which was much less tiring.


    Hongji knew there were pros and cons to every situation. His family couldn¡¯t afford a threshing machine, and even if they could, they wouldn¡¯t buy one for just two acres of land. He knew his mother wouldn¡¯t be willing to spend the money.


    Daya and her younger sisters returned to the courtyard, putting down the bamboo baskets full of rice they had carried. She took a bamboo sieve and poured the rice they had gathered into it.


    Using her small hands, she continually poked it, trying to get the chaff through the small gaps in the sieve to the ground, leaving behind clean rice on top.


    Er Ya and San Ya didn¡¯t stand by the whole time; they went to wash their hands and took a towel to wipe their faces, feeling itchy all over, a sensation they had become accustomed to.


    For months, all the farm work in the fields had been done by the three sisters; if there were insects on the rice seedlings, they had to catch them; if the seedlings needed fertilizing, they had to do it.


    When weeds grew in the rice fields, they had to pull them out.


    Now that the rice had grown into clusters and it was time to harvest, it didn¡¯t mean they would have nothing to do afterward.


    The next few months would be spent growing vegetables until plowing began again in March of the following year.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 35 - Chapter 35: Chapter 35 Passing the Buck to Daya

    Chapter 35: Chapter 35 Passing the Buck to Daya


    Mrs. Lai had already prepared the dry rice in the kitchen, along with stewed pork with pickled Chinese mustard, and dried radishes. At this time of the season, no green vegetables had been planted.


    In the past, when Mrs. Li was still at home, she could grow some delicious greens, but since she left to work as a laborer, the kids at home weren¡¯t very good at gardening, and Mrs. Lai did not manage the vegetable patch.


    Now, there was no time even to gather wild greens, so the only things available to cook at home were the salted vegetables and dried radishes previously pickled by Mrs. Li.


    Ordinary folks who were lazy in cooking might not be very skillful, but they had one distinguishing feature¡ªthey had meat. Farmer families eating meals were not so particular; as long as it could fill the stomach, even if the culinary skills were inadequate, they could still eat their fill. Their mentality was simply to eat their fill!


    Ye Shuzhi and Ye Shuzhen returned to their room to slack off, their backs aching and hands swollen with pain from the morning¡¯s exertion.


    Their tender hands, ablaze with pain, were blistered and peeling, so they had no choice but to apply medicated oil.


    Feeling itchy all over, they could only use a towel to wash their faces and pat down their bodies.


    In October, working outside was hot, and the water in the tank was cold. Without heating up the water, one simply couldn¡¯t bathe.


    Ye Shuzhen tidied up her disheveled hair from the morning¡¯s labor, feeling as if dust from the rice seedlings clung to her head and itched unbearably.


    ¡°Second Sister, look how capable Daya is despite her age. Shouldn¡¯t we let her take over the task of threshing rice?¡±


    Ye Shuzhen saw how adept Daya was at work; she was even more competent than her aunt, who was a few years older.


    It seemed right to hand over the chore of threshing rice to her.


    ¡°Sure, let¡¯s talk about it during the meal! I don¡¯t want to thresh rice either.¡±


    Ye Shuzhi was also tidying up her appearance at the moment, sharing her sister¡¯s sentiment. She¡¯d rather cut and gather the rice in the paddies than stay at home to thresh rice, which was a rather tiring task even with a large stick.


    ¡°Time to eat¡­¡±


    Mrs. Lai, seeing the old man and her son return, called everyone together for the meal.


    Hongji¡¯s father set down the rice basket and didn¡¯t go to eat right away; he washed his hands and took a few puffs of his bamboo pipe first.


    After setting down the rice, Hongji washed his hands, splashed his face with water, checked on the two little ones in the room, and then headed to the kitchen for his meal.


    Daya heard grandma calling for dinner, left the bamboo sieve of rice she¡¯d prepared out to dry in the sun, and went to wash her hands.


    Mrs. Lai was quite diligent, serving the rice into bowls for everyone.


    ¡°Old woman, where did you go this morning?¡±


    Hongji¡¯s father, having enjoyed his bamboo pipe smoke, finally entered the kitchen, sat down for the meal, and glared at his wife as he spoke.


    ¡°Old man, didn¡¯t our eldest daughter ask us to help out? I thought, since you guys weren¡¯t going to help, neither would I. The little ones need looking after, so I went to help her watch the little one.¡±


    Mrs. Lai didn¡¯t feel guilty at all; in her mind, the girls at home couldn¡¯t compare to the grandson who was a boy.


    Had she ever held the other children?


    Mrs. Lai couldn¡¯t remember, particularly not Wuwa, whom she certainly hadn¡¯t held.


    Hongji quietly picked up his bowl and started eating. He was accustomed to his mother¡¯s favoritism and harbored a strong dislike for her. Out of filial piety, he remained silent, but that didn¡¯t mean he didn¡¯t have his thoughts.


    Hongji¡¯s father glared at Mrs. Lai once more and then opted to say no more.


    Daya, carrying the food for her sisters, chose to eat with them in the room.


    Of course, Daya fed Wuwa first, since Siwa could already eat by himself. The other sisters were happy to have just a bowl of rice with a small amount of pickles. The pickles, cooked with meat, had their bits of meat already taken by the adults.


    Ye Shiqi ate obediently, bite by bite; the dry rice made it difficult for her mouth, which lacked molars, to eat quickly.


    Daya would feed her sister a mouthful of rice and then take a bite herself from her own bowl.


    Voices of conversation began in the kitchen. Ye Shuzhen was the first to express her dissatisfaction about their mother going to work for her older sister and not coming home to dry the rice grains. However, she didn¡¯t outright say it.


    ¡°Dad, I don¡¯t want to dry the rice grains at home this afternoon. Wah, look what has become of my hands.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re not drying the rice grains at home, who will? If you¡¯re not at home, where else would you be?¡± Hongji¡¯s father reproached his youngest daughter in a blaming tone.


    ¡°Dad, I¡¯d rather swap with Daya. I want to go cut the rice grains; I don¡¯t want to thresh them at home.¡± Ye Shuzhen ignored the disapproving glares from her father. Her anger didn¡¯t allow her to care about the family¡¯s disapproving looks.


    Hongji stopped eating, his cheeks puffed with rice, and silently looked at Ye Shuzhen as she mentioned Daya.


    ¡°How old is Daya, and how old are you? It¡¯s only when you¡¯re a bit older that you¡¯ll have the strength to thresh the rice. Daya hasn¡¯t been idle for a moment while helping to cut the rice grains in the fields,¡± said Hongji¡¯s father, his face red with either anger or heat.


    ¡°As if Daya is the only one who works hard. I haven¡¯t been idle all day either. Look at the bamboo sieves outside; Second Sister and I did that.¡±


    As for her father¡¯s glare, Ye Shuzhen, after working all morning with a sore back, hurting hands, and not a word of praise, thought to herself, who couldn¡¯t glare?


    Ye Shuzhi hadn¡¯t spoken yet. Seeing that spouting off only got her rebuked, she quietly ate her own meal, knowing that her younger sister¡¯s tactics wouldn¡¯t work and that they could only plead with Mrs. Lai for help.


    ¡°Mom, look at my hands. Threshing the rice has injured them, and my big wedding day is approaching. I haven¡¯t finished my bridal trousseau yet.¡±


    Ye Shuzhi¡¯s words made Hongji¡¯s father, who intended to scold Ye Shuzhen, fall silent for a moment before sighing and saying:


    ¡°Old woman, don¡¯t go to your eldest daughter¡¯s place this afternoon. Stay at home to help out. We need to wrap up the farm work quickly, as well as prepare Er Niu¡¯s bridal trousseau.¡±


    Mrs. Lai was inclined to refuse, but the pleading looks from her daughters softened her heart, and she could only nod in agreement:


    ¡°Alright. This afternoon, all three of us will thresh together. Once we harvest the rice, our family will have something to eat.¡±


    Hongji heard what Mrs. Lai had said and started to eat again.


    Hongji¡¯s father seemed to notice every detail and gave his wife a knowing look upon seeing his eldest son¡¯s demeanor.


    Mrs. Lai glanced at her son whose expression suddenly turned gloomy. Imagining how she would look like her daughters with blistered and swollen hands from threshing the rice that afternoon, she felt deflated.


    If only Mrs. Li were here, she thought. All these chores should be hers. Ah¡­


    Mrs. Lai mentally wished she could offload all these chores onto Mrs. Li so she could enjoy the comforts of home. Yet, she couldn¡¯t bear to part with the two taels of silver. That sum could hire several workers in the countryside, but she also couldn¡¯t bear the thought of spending money to hire help.


    Thinking of the money she would lose made Mrs. Lai prefer to endure the hardship herself.


    Hongji and his father, in a rush to finish work, didn¡¯t nap after lunch and continued working after their meal.


    Hongji told Daya to bring her sisters a little later, as the midday sun was too intense.


    Daya didn¡¯t dare delay too long. After washing the bowls in the kitchen, she set off with Er Ya and Sanya, all three carrying baskets on their backs.

 Chapter 36 - Chapter 35: Chapter 35 Passing the Buck to Daya

    Chapter 35: Chapter 35 Passing the Buck to Daya


    Mrs. Lai had already prepared the dry rice in the kitchen, along with stewed pork with pickled Chinese mustard, and dried radishes. At this time of the season, no green vegetables had been planted.


    In the past, when Mrs. Li was still at home, she could grow some delicious greens, but since she left to work as a laborer, the kids at home weren¡¯t very good at gardening, and Mrs. Lai did not manage the vegetable patch.


    Now, there was no time even to gather wild greens, so the only things available to cook at home were the salted vegetables and dried radishes previously pickled by Mrs. Li.


    Ordinary folks who were lazy in cooking might not be very skillful, but they had one distinguishing feature¡ªthey had meat. Farmer families eating meals were not so particular; as long as it could fill the stomach, even if the culinary skills were inadequate, they could still eat their fill. Their mentality was simply to eat their fill!


    Ye Shuzhi and Ye Shuzhen returned to their room to slack off, their backs aching and hands swollen with pain from the morning¡¯s exertion.


    Their tender hands, ablaze with pain, were blistered and peeling, so they had no choice but to apply medicated oil.


    Feeling itchy all over, they could only use a towel to wash their faces and pat down their bodies.


    In October, working outside was hot, and the water in the tank was cold. Without heating up the water, one simply couldn¡¯t bathe.


    Ye Shuzhen tidied up her disheveled hair from the morning¡¯s labor, feeling as if dust from the rice seedlings clung to her head and itched unbearably.


    ¡°Second Sister, look how capable Daya is despite her age. Shouldn¡¯t we let her take over the task of threshing rice?¡±


    Ye Shuzhen saw how adept Daya was at work; she was even more competent than her aunt, who was a few years older.


    It seemed right to hand over the chore of threshing rice to her.


    ¡°Sure, let¡¯s talk about it during the meal! I don¡¯t want to thresh rice either.¡±


    Ye Shuzhi was also tidying up her appearance at the moment, sharing her sister¡¯s sentiment. She¡¯d rather cut and gather the rice in the paddies than stay at home to thresh rice, which was a rather tiring task even with a large stick.


    ¡°Time to eat¡­¡±


    Mrs. Lai, seeing the old man and her son return, called everyone together for the meal.


    Hongji¡¯s father set down the rice basket and didn¡¯t go to eat right away; he washed his hands and took a few puffs of his bamboo pipe first.


    After setting down the rice, Hongji washed his hands, splashed his face with water, checked on the two little ones in the room, and then headed to the kitchen for his meal.


    Daya heard grandma calling for dinner, left the bamboo sieve of rice she¡¯d prepared out to dry in the sun, and went to wash her hands.


    Mrs. Lai was quite diligent, serving the rice into bowls for everyone.


    ¡°Old woman, where did you go this morning?¡±


    Hongji¡¯s father, having enjoyed his bamboo pipe smoke, finally entered the kitchen, sat down for the meal, and glared at his wife as he spoke.


    ¡°Old man, didn¡¯t our eldest daughter ask us to help out? I thought, since you guys weren¡¯t going to help, neither would I. The little ones need looking after, so I went to help her watch the little one.¡±


    Mrs. Lai didn¡¯t feel guilty at all; in her mind, the girls at home couldn¡¯t compare to the grandson who was a boy.


    Had she ever held the other children?


    Mrs. Lai couldn¡¯t remember, particularly not Wuwa, whom she certainly hadn¡¯t held.


    Hongji quietly picked up his bowl and started eating. He was accustomed to his mother¡¯s favoritism and harbored a strong dislike for her. Out of filial piety, he remained silent, but that didn¡¯t mean he didn¡¯t have his thoughts.


    Hongji¡¯s father glared at Mrs. Lai once more and then opted to say no more.


    Daya, carrying the food for her sisters, chose to eat with them in the room.


    Of course, Daya fed Wuwa first, since Siwa could already eat by himself. The other sisters were happy to have just a bowl of rice with a small amount of pickles. The pickles, cooked with meat, had their bits of meat already taken by the adults.


    Ye Shiqi ate obediently, bite by bite; the dry rice made it difficult for her mouth, which lacked molars, to eat quickly.


    Daya would feed her sister a mouthful of rice and then take a bite herself from her own bowl.


    Voices of conversation began in the kitchen. Ye Shuzhen was the first to express her dissatisfaction about their mother going to work for her older sister and not coming home to dry the rice grains. However, she didn¡¯t outright say it.


    ¡°Dad, I don¡¯t want to dry the rice grains at home this afternoon. Wah, look what has become of my hands.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re not drying the rice grains at home, who will? If you¡¯re not at home, where else would you be?¡± Hongji¡¯s father reproached his youngest daughter in a blaming tone.


    ¡°Dad, I¡¯d rather swap with Daya. I want to go cut the rice grains; I don¡¯t want to thresh them at home.¡± Ye Shuzhen ignored the disapproving glares from her father. Her anger didn¡¯t allow her to care about the family¡¯s disapproving looks.


    Hongji stopped eating, his cheeks puffed with rice, and silently looked at Ye Shuzhen as she mentioned Daya.


    ¡°How old is Daya, and how old are you? It¡¯s only when you¡¯re a bit older that you¡¯ll have the strength to thresh the rice. Daya hasn¡¯t been idle for a moment while helping to cut the rice grains in the fields,¡± said Hongji¡¯s father, his face red with either anger or heat.


    ¡°As if Daya is the only one who works hard. I haven¡¯t been idle all day either. Look at the bamboo sieves outside; Second Sister and I did that.¡±


    As for her father¡¯s glare, Ye Shuzhen, after working all morning with a sore back, hurting hands, and not a word of praise, thought to herself, who couldn¡¯t glare?


    Ye Shuzhi hadn¡¯t spoken yet. Seeing that spouting off only got her rebuked, she quietly ate her own meal, knowing that her younger sister¡¯s tactics wouldn¡¯t work and that they could only plead with Mrs. Lai for help.


    ¡°Mom, look at my hands. Threshing the rice has injured them, and my big wedding day is approaching. I haven¡¯t finished my bridal trousseau yet.¡±


    Ye Shuzhi¡¯s words made Hongji¡¯s father, who intended to scold Ye Shuzhen, fall silent for a moment before sighing and saying:


    ¡°Old woman, don¡¯t go to your eldest daughter¡¯s place this afternoon. Stay at home to help out. We need to wrap up the farm work quickly, as well as prepare Er Niu¡¯s bridal trousseau.¡±


    Mrs. Lai was inclined to refuse, but the pleading looks from her daughters softened her heart, and she could only nod in agreement:


    ¡°Alright. This afternoon, all three of us will thresh together. Once we harvest the rice, our family will have something to eat.¡±


    Hongji heard what Mrs. Lai had said and started to eat again.


    Hongji¡¯s father seemed to notice every detail and gave his wife a knowing look upon seeing his eldest son¡¯s demeanor.


    Mrs. Lai glanced at her son whose expression suddenly turned gloomy. Imagining how she would look like her daughters with blistered and swollen hands from threshing the rice that afternoon, she felt deflated.


    If only Mrs. Li were here, she thought. All these chores should be hers. Ah¡­


    Mrs. Lai mentally wished she could offload all these chores onto Mrs. Li so she could enjoy the comforts of home. Yet, she couldn¡¯t bear to part with the two taels of silver. That sum could hire several workers in the countryside, but she also couldn¡¯t bear the thought of spending money to hire help.


    Thinking of the money she would lose made Mrs. Lai prefer to endure the hardship herself.


    Hongji and his father, in a rush to finish work, didn¡¯t nap after lunch and continued working after their meal.


    Hongji told Daya to bring her sisters a little later, as the midday sun was too intense.


    Daya didn¡¯t dare delay too long. After washing the bowls in the kitchen, she set off with Er Ya and Sanya, all three carrying baskets on their backs.

 Chapter 37 - Chapter 36: Chapter 36 Eating Honey

    Chapter 36: Chapter 36 Eating Honey


    Ye Shuzhen, seeing her mother in the courtyard that afternoon, did not bring up switching tasks with Daya anymore.


    In the afternoon, with Mrs. Lai helping out, the pace of threshing the rice quickened slightly. Mrs. Lai, who rarely engaged in such work, felt her back and waist ache after just half an hour.


    Feeling unable to straighten her back, she used one hand to pound her plump backside, feeling soreness in her hands.


    ¡°Mother, now you know how hard we worked in the morning, don¡¯t you?¡± Seeing her mother¡¯s exhausted state, Ye Shuzhen was devoid of sympathy, instead harboring a mocking thought.


    ¡°Now mother must know, and from now on, she¡¯ll finish the chores at home before helping elder sister, don¡¯t you think, Mother?¡±


    Ye Shuzhi vented the resentment she had been holding inside, saying thus to her mother¡¯s face. She knew that in this home, if her mother did not work, more of it would fall on her and her sisters.


    The thought of marrying the boss and not having to do these agricultural labors made Ye Shuzhi yearn for her wedding day to come sooner.


    She had already forgotten the feelings she had upon seeing the guard; now, she felt that as long as she didn¡¯t have to farm, what did it matter if her husband was not very handsome?


    ¡°You really are my good daughters! Was it easy for your old mother to raise you? Is it just a bit more work? Shouldn¡¯t your old mother at this age enjoy some blessings?¡±


    In this moment, Mrs. Lai, who usually favored her daughters, found them utterly infuriating today. She glared at them angrily, then could only work intermittently, frequently glaring resentfully at the two children¡¯s rooms.


    Shiqi had eaten her fill and played with Siwa for a while; the noisy commotion outside did not affect her sleep as she lay in bed.


    Siwa lay down to sleep as well, occasionally puffing air, completely undisturbed by the clattering sounds from outside.


    Shiqi woke up again, looked out the window of her room, and happened to see Mrs. Lai glaring at their room.


    She innocently shrank her neck. Grandmother glaring at them; she surely didn¡¯t expect them, so young, to work as well?


    Shiqi glanced at her elder sister sleeping beside her. She was sleeping soundly, her mouth even blowing bubbles.


    Unable to sleep, bored, she thought of something to do and remembered her ¡°space¡±.


    Checking her ¡°space,¡± Shiqi saw the plants and flowers thriving, busy little bees gathering nectar, and noticed a bee building a hive with a honeycomb inside containing honey. Though there wasn¡¯t much honey, she couldn¡¯t help but drool.


    The rice grains scattered on the ground had sprouted and were lush; it seemed they would soon bloom and produce rice grain.


    Shiqi calculated, realizing two hours were enough to sprout rice into seedlings; perhaps one could harvest the rice once or twice a day.


    The area for planting rice wasn¡¯t large, but if one could harvest twice daily, it might yield several tens or even a hundred catties of rice grains.


    The thought of having rice grains in her ¡°space¡± brightened Shiqi¡¯s mood, thinking that from now on, she wouldn¡¯t have to eat watery meals.


    Craving the honey, she mentally cut out a piece of honeycomb with honey attached, eating it like a snack.


    The sweet taste stirred Siwa, who was asleep. His nose twitched, he opened his eyes, clambered up, looked around, and discovered the source of the scent was in his sister¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Honey¡­ Qing, elder sister wants some too¡­¡±


    Seeing Siwa¡¯s longing drooling face, Shiqi found it endearing. She couldn¡¯t move or avoid the crowd; this elder sister was the first to discover her secret, and she had to keep it confidential.


    ¡°Shh¡­¡± Ye Shiqi couldn¡¯t articulate more words to make Siwa understand, she could only gesture for silence with her fingers, then pointed outside.


    ¡°Qing, elder sister understands; we can¡¯t let grandma and the second and third aunts know about the tasty treats, otherwise we¡¯ll have none, I get it.¡±


    While speaking, Siwa patted her chest as if guaranteeing it, her eyes firmly fixed on the honeycomb in Ye Shiqi¡¯s hands, drooling as she spoke.


    Caught eating alone, Ye Shiqi had no choice but to turn away from the honeycomb in her hand, splitting it in two and giving half to Siwa.


    Siwa, holding the piece of honeycomb, carefully licked the honey inside with her tongue, eating it slowly as if it were candy.


    ¡°Mmm, so sweet, it¡¯s really good.¡±


    Siwa smiled happily, having never tasted anything sweeter than candy. She knew about honey and honeycombs because their picture books had stories that taught them to read and understand through illustrations.


    Their father had once told them this story, explaining that it was a honeycomb formed by bees collecting nectar and that it contained lots of honey, even sweeter than sugar.


    Ye Shiqi didn¡¯t eat as slowly as Siwa; after finishing the honeycomb in her hand, she licked her fingers, still craving more, but she dared not cut more honeycomb right in front of Siwa.


    Ye Shuzhen was doing a little work and a little slacking when suddenly, she detected a sweet scent floating around the yard.


    She sniffed the air and said to Ye Shuzhi, who was also skiving off from work:


    ¡°Second Sister, do you smell a sweet scent in the yard?¡±


    Ye Shuzhi¡¯s first reaction was to retort, ¡°Third Sister, isn¡¯t it just the smell of sweat? Where¡¯s the sweet scent coming from? Do you think you applied rouge powder? Can you afford the expensive kind? You must be buying the cheap kind, how strong can that fragrance be? You¡¯re not putting on rouge while working, are you?¡±


    Faced with her elder sister¡¯s misunderstanding, Ye Shuzhen didn¡¯t know how to describe her thoughts effectively but said honestly, ¡°Sister, I don¡¯t have the money for that kind of rouge powder, and it¡¯s useless to put it on today with all this dust. Don¡¯t you think it smells like honey?¡±


    ¡°Honey? Did mom buy honey yesterday?¡± Ye Shuzhi glanced at their mother, who was bent over working and hadn¡¯t noticed their conversation.


    ¡°Second Sister, are you suggesting mom bought honey back home and didn¡¯t tell us? It¡¯s possible; she often keeps goodies to herself.¡±


    ¡°Then, should we sneak into mom¡¯s room and look around, maybe steal a bit of the honey?¡± Ye Shuzhi winked at her sister, a favorite mischief among the siblings.


    ¡°Good, let¡¯s take this chance to see how much money mom has hidden,¡± Ye Shuzhen giggled and, on tiptoes with her elder sister, approached their mother¡¯s room, gently handing over the wooden door.


    The lock on such wooden doors was very simple, and a piece of wire could even serve as a key. Ye Shuzhen, unable to turn the lock, looked back at Ye Shuzhi stomping her foot.


    ¡°Second Sister, what do we do if the door is locked?¡±


    ¡°Silly, haven¡¯t we learned to pick locks?¡± Ye Shuzhi and her sister, often at home, hadn¡¯t learned much else but had learned the craft of lock-picking from their father and brother.


    Woodworkers, some of whom also mastered lock fitting, all doors, big or small, needed locks, and they could easily create and pick these simple locks.


    People of this trade were typically honest and didn¡¯t turn to theft even though they knew how to pick locks.


    The two sisters had learned this skill but never dared to do anything bad outside, though they still brought trouble home.

 Chapter 38 - Chapter 37: Chapter 37 Sweet Taste

    Chapter 37: Chapter 37 Sweet Taste


    ¡°Oh, right.¡± Ye Shuzhen pulled a silver hairpin from her hair and inserted the sharp end into the keyhole of the lock, ¡°click,¡± and the door unlocked.


    ¡°Little sister, not bad at all!¡± Ye Shuzhi looked on with admiration.


    Ye Shuzhen turned to glance at Mrs. Lai and, seeing that her mother wasn¡¯t paying attention to her and her sisters, gently pushed the door open. ¡°Ah,¡± as she opened the door, Ye Shuzhen tiptoed inside.


    Ye Shuzhi followed her into the room, her gaze fixating on the place where their parents stored their belongings.


    Mrs. Lai, busy with her work, flinched as she sensed something and turned to look in the direction of the room.


    She held the power of the housekeeper tightly in her hands; the money earned by her son and husband from their work, as well as the money her daughters-in-law made, was hidden away after taking care of the family¡¯s expenses.


    She guarded not only against her husband finding the money she hid, but also distrusted her daughters, and even more so, the children in the house.


    She always carried the room key in her pocket and locked the door whether she was at home or not, especially when she went out, not only would she take the key, but she would also hide the money even more securely.


    Once, she allowed her three daughters to search her room, but her hiding place was secure, and they did not find the money she had concealed.


    Mrs. Lai turned and was shocked by the scene she encountered, screaming, ¡°Er Niu, San Niu, what are you doing in my room?¡±


    Mrs. Lai, while speaking, grabbed a stick in her hand and rushed toward the room, at this moment not caring about her aching waist and hands, worried that her two daughters might have found and taken her money.


    ¡°Not good, what do we do if Mother found out?¡± Ye Shuzhen felt guilty as a thief, terrified and out of ideas by being discovered by her mother.


    ¡°What¡¯s there to fear? Just directly ask Mother for something to eat!¡± Ye Shuzhi, on the other hand, had a fearless demeanor. She was to be married off to another family and wasn¡¯t worried about her reputation or the prospect of no one wanting to marry her.


    Moreover, she was confident that her mother wouldn¡¯t be so foolish as to spread the events happening at home to the outside.


    Mrs. Lai, holding a stick, ran to the doorway and saw her two daughters inside her room. She nervously checked their hands and seeing that they were empty, her heart relaxed a bit, yet she still scolded them:


    ¡°Well done, it¡¯s hard to guard against a thief within the family. When did you start learning such bad behavior? Two girls learning to open doors and steal.¡±


    Ye Shuzhi glared at Mrs. Lai with the resolve of a pig undaunted by scalding water and said, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t speak so unpleasantly about stealing¡­ Be careful the walls have ears and ruin our reputation, where would that leave you as our mother? Sneaking around buying treats and hiding them from us.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, Mother, your words are harsh; you don¡¯t treat us as daughters. You bought honey and didn¡¯t even let us have any,¡± Ye Shuzhen said, her mouth watering a bit at the mention of the sweet scent that was too tempting.


    ¡°What? Honey? I didn¡¯t buy any honey!¡± Mrs. Lai felt wronged, as her disobedient daughters also accused her of buying treats without sharing with them.


    Ye Shuzhen countered in disbelief:


    ¡°Mother, you still deny it, but smell the sweet scent of honey in the air. If you didn¡¯t go to the town to buy honey, then who else in our family would have gone out?¡±


    ¡°You really are wronging me, I truly didn¡¯t buy any honey. Honey is so expensive, it would be better to buy sugar. A sweet scent in the air?¡±


    Mrs. Lai initially thought her daughters were falsely accusing her, but as she talked, her nose also detected the sweet scent.


    ¡°This¡­ really does smell like honey! But I didn¡¯t buy honey!¡±


    Observing their mother speak, Ye Shuzhen and Ye Shuzhi could tell she wasn¡¯t lying; the innocent expression on her face didn¡¯t seem like an act.


    ¡°Then how come our courtyard has this sweet scent?¡± Ye Shuzhen, not quite believing, sniffed again around each corner of the room.


    ¡°It seems like the scent is drifting in from the courtyard,¡± Ye Shuzhi realized, following the sweet scent out of the courtyard.


    ¡°Surely our yard doesn¡¯t have a bee nest?¡± Ye Shuzhen also walked out.


    Mrs. Lai, regardless of whether her two daughters found the bee nest or honey, thought about how her daughters could pick locks. She took out a large padlock from a chest, locked the wooden door with it, and added an extra lock for good measure.


    The sudden sound from the courtyard was heard by Ye Shiqi inside the room; she had already eaten the honey.


    Ye Shiqi discovered a secret that she hadn¡¯t known for months: her two aunts possessed the skill of lock-picking, which in her previous life would have been a profession.


    In this era, there seemed to be no need for locksmiths, as only blacksmiths who made locks might also know the skill. She had not expected a carpenter in the family to learn such craft as well.


    It was fortunate that the family members were all honest people; otherwise, resorting to underhanded means of livelihood would lead to unimaginable consequences.


    She glanced at Siwa, who was carefully licking the honey, one small bite at a time. It was good that the child valued her food, but if Second Aunt, San Niu, or Granny found out, not only would they beat them, there¡¯d be no way to explain where the honey came from.


    Only then did Ye Shiqi feel a bit scared; taking the honey to eat might have been reckless. It was a danger that could lead to the discovery of her ¡°space.¡± If she were to be considered a monster at such a young age, that would be trouble.


    She knew aside from her parents, the rest of the family had rather ruthless hearts and might kill her as a suspected monster.


    To be revived and live within a book was a blessing in itself, no matter how hard life was; she certainly didn¡¯t want to die again.


    Anxious, Ye Shiqi crawled over, grabbed Wuwa¡¯s hand, and stuffed the honey in her mouth.


    ¡°Be careful, be careful,¡± she said urgently.


    ¡°Sister, the honey is so delicious, I want to savor it,¡± Wuwa replied, who had been too preoccupied with eating to notice the commotion outside.


    Ye Shiqi was so anxious that she began sweating. Siwa was unwilling to finish the honey fast, and she couldn¡¯t understand what Ye Shiqi was trying to say, which was torturous because she couldn¡¯t clearly voice her actual concerns.


    That was the frustration every child felt, longing to grow up and speak clearly, and Ye Shiqi had harbored that same frustration for a very long time.


    ¡°Dudu, nainai¡­¡± In her urgency, Ye Shiqi spoke imperfectly, but Wuwa understood anyway.


    Wuwa got it: their aunts were saying that there was honey in the courtyard, so she chewed the piece of honeycomb rapidly in her mouth and even licked her fingers.


    ¡°Second Sister, there¡¯s not a single bee in sight in the yard, where could the bee nest be?¡± Ye Shuzhen surveyed the entire yard, which apart from some fruit trellises and the eaves of the house, lacked not just bees, but also bird nests.


    ¡°That¡¯s strange; we can still smell the scent in the yard,¡± Ye Shuzhi said, unable to help but swallow her saliva.


    ¡°Did you find it?¡± Mrs. Lai, after locking up the room, joined her two daughters.


    ¡°Mother, there¡¯s a fragrance in our yard, could it have drifted over from another house? Did Granny Li¡¯s family next door go to town yesterday?¡±


    Ye Shuzhen, unable to find the bee nest, shifted her suspicions to the neighboring house.


    ¡°No way. Yesterday, I was in the ox cart and didn¡¯t see Sister-in-law Li, nor did I see her in town or her family members. Could it be that they found bees in the mountains?¡±


    Mrs. Lai felt her heart ache at that thought, as if someone else had stumbled upon a road to riches.

 Chapter 39 - Chapter 39: Chapter 39 Receiving Gifts

    Chapter 39: Chapter 39 Receiving Gifts


    Hongji ultimately chose to believe that this child was his own, and he had to protect her, to guard her secret.


    ¡°Siwa, don¡¯t tell anyone about the honey, okay? Not your elder sisters, not your aunts or grandfathers, no one.¡±


    Siwa didn¡¯t understand why her father had instructed her so, but she nodded obediently and said,


    ¡°Daddy, Siya knows, Siya won¡¯t tell anyone.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, you are all good children. Daddy has to go to work. You must close the doors and windows, and don¡¯t go outside at all.¡±


    At Hongji¡¯s reminder, Siwa nodded.


    Ye Shiqi lowered the hand covering her face, choosing to trust this father, and nodded along with Siwa.


    Only then did Hongji open the door and go out, then he closed the door to the room again.


    ¡°Big brother, why do you lock the doors and windows of your room? Your two children are inside, aren¡¯t you afraid of suffocating them?¡± Ye Shuzhen wasn¡¯t concerned about her nieces; she was just asking out of curiosity.


    ¡°The weather is getting colder, and there¡¯s a lot of dust outside. What could possibly happen to the children inside the room?¡±


    Hongji made up an excuse, then picked up the empty basket and left with his father to go to the fields.


    ¡°So secretive, I wonder if there¡¯s something in big brother¡¯s room?¡±


    Ye Shuzhi was puzzled and her eyes stayed fixed on that room.


    ¡°What could be in his room? Not even a fart.¡± Mrs. Lai often went in to search for things, and she would have found anything there.


    ¡°Hehe, Mother, you know best.¡± Ye Shuzhen laughed, how could she not know what her mother was up to?


    Ye Shuzhi rolled her eyes and kept quiet; she was about to get married soon, and didn¡¯t support her mother-in-law¡¯s behavior towards the daughter-in-law. If her own mother-in-law was as overbearing, that would really be unlucky.


    ******


    Mrs. Li was sad that she couldn¡¯t return home to visit her family, but she had no choice but to accept the fact.


    Knowing that the farm would be busy, without her at home, she wondered how things were going?


    All she could do was guess; she could not send a message home, and no one from her family told her how things were.


    The housekeeper sent someone with her monthly salary to her family, and she secretly inquired about who went to her home.


    Upon learning that it was a guard, she secretly found the guard and asked about the situation at home.


    The guard told her that everything was fine at home. She asked how the children were faring.


    The guard, who was in a hurry, had not seen the older children, but only a toddler of about two or three years old and an infant of a few months, both of whom were lively.


    Mrs. Li didn¡¯t get more information, but learning that work was ongoing meant that the rice harvest wasn¡¯t finished yet.


    The three children not being at home meant they must be out working again.


    Thinking of her children¡¯s hardships, Mrs. Li could only silently shed tears, filled with sorrow and worry, yet powerless to help.


    On this day, a birthday banquet was being held at the Tang Mansion. Both the wealthy and relatives and friends came, and Mrs. Li, as the wet nurse, couldn¡¯t afford to be distracted and had to stop thinking about her family for the time being.


    During the Old Master¡¯s birthday feast, Mrs. Li was always to stay with the Young Master. While meeting guests, she had to prevent him from getting distracted and wandering off or getting into conflicts while playing with other children, whether he was the one bullying or the one being bullied.


    When the Young Master met guests, he would receive some gifts; in the past, the Young Master didn¡¯t know who to give these gifts to for safekeeping.


    This time, the Young Master did not let the maids in the courtyard help manage his gifts, including the gold particles given by guests.


    ¡°Wet nurse, today you help me keep the gifts safe. They cannot be given to my mother, nor can anyone else manage them.¡±


    Tang Shunyan, the Young Master, was very assertive. Previously received gifts, whether during festivals or family banquets, were always managed by his mother or the maids and nannies in the courtyard, with a housekeeper helping to look after them.


    Since a few days ago, when he found out about the wet nurse¡¯s distressed inability to go back home to visit relatives, he realized that aside from the jade pendant, he could not manage anything else himself.


    Even less could he give anything away, as that would surely provoke his mother¡¯s reprimand.


    Thinking of how poor the wet nurse¡¯s family was, and how her sisters must be suffering, he overheard the wet nurse incidentally talk about her family.


    Tang Shunyan was smart and clever. Even at a young age, he knew that if his wet nurse¡¯s elder sisters didn¡¯t eat well, their living conditions couldn¡¯t be good either.


    He resolved that from now on, he must save some pocket money. After listening for so long to the wet nurse talk about her sisters, he felt that one day he would visit them and would need to bring gifts.


    ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡± Mrs. Li thought the Young Master was just playing around, as if the children of their household wouldn¡¯t eventually have their possessions managed by adults.


    Due to the many guests, Tang Shunyan received a lot of loose change and gifts, all from relatives of the elders in the house or friends from business circles.


    Tang Shunyan was the eldest legitimate son of the Eldest Young Master and grandson of Mr. Tang; both legitimate and illegitimate sons had married and had children, and some of his daughters who had married were also present.


    Mr. Tang also had brothers and sisters, and it was the older generation who brought the young ones to celebrate the birthday.


    There was also a boy one year younger than Tang Shunyan. He was the legitimate son of the illegitimate son of the Eldest Young Master¡¯s father, and naturally, he was not as valued as Tang Shunyan.


    Among the guests at the mansion, there were also many children, both boys and girls.


    Besides Tang Shunyan, other children from different courtyards also came to play. The Tang Family, a large clan, celebrated the Old Master¡¯s birthday banquet grandly.


    While welcoming guests, the household could not hold the banquet at home, so they booked two restaurants. The food from the restaurants had to be delivered for the elderly and pregnant ladies who couldn¡¯t attend.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Tang Shunyan kept calling the relatives and friends by their titles, someone had specifically taught him in this regard.


    He was there to wish his grandfather a long life and also received a red envelope from him.


    Mrs. Li, collecting the Young Master¡¯s gifts, soon found that the small bundle she was carrying could not fit any more.


    The young madam, seeing her son receive so many gifts, feared that Mrs. Li might embezzle them and sent a maid to take the bundle from Mrs. Li¡¯s hands, intending to have the maid help collect the gifts afterward.


    The entire process involved the younger generation receiving gifts, while the elders had to return the gesture.


    The young madam felt that she had given return gifts, and the Madam would also give return gifts, as these were all prepared by her; not to mention the Mother-in-law, who handled the household¡¯s finances.


    ¡°Move aside, I¡¯ve asked the wet nurse to keep my gifts. Tell my mother that from now on, I want to manage all the gifts I receive myself.¡±


    ¡°Young Master, how can you manage them when you¡¯re so young? Listen to the young madam, she will take good care of them for you,¡± earnestly persuaded the maid, her eyes glancing at Mrs. Li a few times.


    ¡°Young Master, the young madam is your mother, it¡¯s only right for her to take care of them,¡± Mrs. Li had long thought that the Young Master was just talking, what child so young didn¡¯t have their things managed by adults?


    ¡°Wet nurse, I¡¯ve already told you not to give them to my mother, I will manage the items myself,¡± insisted Tang Shunyan, not giving up at all on his insistence to manage his own belongings.


    The maid felt helpless and could only go back to report to the young madam. Upon hearing the maid¡¯s account, the young madam didn¡¯t think her son was being willful. Instead, she suspected her son must have been instigated by someone and glared fiercely at Mrs. Li.


    She resolved to deal with her after the banquet, thinking that just punishing her once by not allowing her to visit her family was light enough, but she had the audacity to corrupt her own son and definitely couldn¡¯t be let off easily.


    Mrs. Li sensed the resentful gaze, the young madam¡¯s gaze, and timidly lowered her head. Her heart was in turmoil, a mix of discomfort and fear.

 Chapter 40 - Chapter 40: Chapter 40 Someone Wants to Set Her Up

    Chapter 40: Chapter 40 Someone Wants to Set Her Up


    Young Master experienced a slight mishap here, and the attentive guests were all whispering amongst acquaintances.


    Madam had also heard about the incident from the whispering maids and, unlike the young madam, wasn¡¯t irritated. Instead, she looked at her grandson with a hint of pride in her eyes.


    She maintained a smiling face, though she might have laughed out loud if it weren¡¯t for the need to preserve decorum. Her experiences had given her a broader perspective than that of the young madam.


    The young madam was jealous of her son¡¯s favorable treatment of Mrs. Li, the wet nurse, but Madam didn¡¯t see it that way. She felt that her young grandson, only a few years old, was already thinking about safeguarding his possessions.


    Indeed, he was from the wealthiest family in Tang Family¡¯s County. This was a result of good upbringing from a young age, knowing how to save money so as to learn how to make money, not simply spending it frivolously.


    At such a young age, he understood the importance of money. In an environment of good food and lodging, he was incredibly thoughtful, not something taught by a country woman.


    Madam thought of her own son, who had also learned to manage his finances from a young age and had grown up to be a capable business manager through family nurturing.


    ¡°Madam, your education is wonderful! Your young grandson learning financial management at such a young age is truly worthy of being the descendant of the richest man in the county,¡±


    the wife of the County Old Master said bluntly amidst much discussion.


    It was not flattery but a recognition of a young one¡¯s merits, deserving of praise.


    As the wife of the county magistrate spoke, the other relatives sitting inside the woman¡¯s hall also echoed with laughter.


    Those seated inside were the closest kin, along with some more distinguished individuals. The living room could not accommodate all the guests, and the others had to gather in the garden or courtyard.


    Today, Tang Mansion had erected tents in the garden and courtyard to entertain the guests.


    And certainly, the men were separated from the women for hosting, with older men talking with other elders.


    There was a group of middle-aged people, and the young masters and young men formed another group.


    Children ran around the garden, young women sat in tents, and some other young ladies were nearby.


    Tang Shunyan, being the legitimate heir, was particularly esteemed by his family, who had him greet every elder guest or the current ladies in the sitting area, receiving gifts until his hands were worn out.


    ¡°Hehe¡±


    The women in the hall laughed, casting a glance at the young madam¡¯s still angry face, feeling that a lady from the Capital City was just so, possessing a bit of pettiness.


    The young madam, hearing the laughter in the living room, found it very grating. Her face flushed red and then pale, yet she couldn¡¯t make a scene in front of everyone.


    She could only glare at Mrs. Li again, her gaze moving to her mother-in-law, wondering why she was laughing so heartily at this issue that others considered a joke.


    The young madam had always thought her mother-in-law tolerable and not one to upset her. For a moment, the young madam maintained her silence.


    Mrs. Li stood awkwardly to one side, while Young Master sat on a chair, grinning triumphantly.


    Feeling that his gift was secured, he couldn¡¯t help but snigger inwardly, exceedingly happy over such a trivial matter given his young age.


    ¡°Madam has praised him. The children are just having fun with this, but I do hope he¡¯s not just playing and can inherit our Tang Family¡¯s business acumen,¡±


    after hearing Madam¡¯s words, the other ladies also chimed in.


    The young madam hadn¡¯t understood before, but listening to their discussion, and to what was currently being said and explained by her mother-in-law, she felt her anger dissipating.


    Tang Shunyan had received so many gifts and thought there would be no more gifts coming his way. How could a child stay still?


    Thinking of playing with children in the outer courtyard, he said to Mrs. Li behind him, ¡°Wet nurse, please first put the things in the trunks of my courtyard room, and remember to lock them.¡±


    ¡°Ah, young madam, are the Young Master¡¯s gifts managed according to the Young Master¡¯s instructions?¡±


    Mrs. Li did not dare to leave upon the Young Master¡¯s word alone, thinking that the young madam was really formidable¡ªit would be necessary to have her mother¡¯s approval first.


    ¡°Why are you asking me? Didn¡¯t you hear the Young Master tell you to take good care of them? If you don¡¯t, you alone will be questioned.¡±


    The young madam¡¯s words had a hint of a secret message: if anything was missing, Mrs. Li would have to compensate for it.


    Mrs. Li paused blankly, but still obediently put the things away first.


    Tang Shunyan did not run to the garden to play immediately, worried that the wet nurse might not find him. At such a young age, he knew that making a mistake was one thing, but it could lead to his wet nurse being punished.


    Mrs. Li, carrying such valuable items, walked with extreme caution, afraid that someone might bump into her and cause her to drop and break the items.


    The courtyard and garden were crowded with tents and guests, also raising fears of accidental collisions.


    As Mrs. Li was walking, two young masters sprinted around a corner and nearly collided with her.


    Mrs. Li, always vigilant and agile, nimbly avoided their collision.


    She managed to avoid being hit, but the scare broke her into a cold sweat.


    While receiving the gifts earlier, Mrs. Li saw that besides some gold and silver, which could withstand drops, there were some jade pendants and bracelets¡ªthese items must not be dropped.


    She returned to the Young Master¡¯s courtyard and was heading down the corridor to secure the items in the Young Master¡¯s room.


    A maid burst out from a side door, colliding violently with her.


    When Mrs. Li was nearly hit earlier, she was so frightened that she was nearly beside herself; breaking the items would have indebted her for a lifetime.


    The sudden appearance of the maid had Mrs. Li, already on high alert, bracing with a firm stance and putting up an unencumbered hand in a blocking gesture.


    This maid was, of course, acting on purpose. The young madam had the maid attempt to take the gifts from Mrs. Li unsuccessfully, and she secretly instructed a little maid nearby.


    The little maid had already returned to the Young Master¡¯s courtyard and secretly spoken a few words with the confident heart of the young madam.


    This maid was one of the young madam¡¯s trusted confidantes, always hiding around the corner to set a trap.


    The maid charged forcefully, thinking she would succeed, but instead, Mrs. Li pushed her strongly, causing her to fall to the ground with both a knee and an arm scraped and bleeding, only feeling the pain.


    She glared fiercely at Mrs. Li, tears of pain in her eyes, and cried out in rage, ¡°Very well, Mrs. Li, how dare you push me on purpose, I will tell the young madam and have her punish you.¡±


    Mrs. Li, having pushed the other down, did not feel guilty. For the past two months, she had been constantly targeted by traps set by the young madam¡¯s confidantes. Although she had not retaliated, it did not mean she was unaware that someone was purposefully causing her harm.


    Even at the risk of harming the Young Master, what virtues did the young madam see in them? She remained vigilant towards everyone in the courtyard¡ªfrom the old women and boys to the maids.


    Mrs. Li did not apologize to the other party¡ªit was self-defense, after all. Why should she humble herself unless the other party was a master to whom she had to bow?


    ¡°Whether I did it on purpose or not, go ahead and complain. Did you see what I was carrying? If anything is damaged, the responsibility is not mine. Do you know the value of these items?¡±

 Chapter 41 - Chapter 41: Chapter 41 Maid Behaving Badly

    Chapter 41: Chapter 41 Maid Behaving Badly


    ¡°Mrs. Li, there¡¯s no need to threaten me; it¡¯s not like I did it on purpose. Hmph, you hurt me and you owe me money.¡± Maid Xiu Zhi didn¡¯t dare to clutch at this issue any longer, for things had been exposed, and she did not dare to continue.


    Having been seen through by Mrs. Li, this scheme was no longer feasible; she couldn¡¯t afford the consequences of this failure and could only wait for another opportunity to devise a new plan.


    A minor incident had occurred here, attracting all the old women and little maids who weren¡¯t busy at the banquet to come over and watch.


    Mrs. Li, fearing they would gang up on her, ignored the maid¡¯s whining and quickly returned to the Young Master¡¯s room.


    ¡°Look at her, how despicable Mrs. Li is; after bumping into someone and causing injury, she simply runs off without a single word of apology. I¡¯m going to tell the young madam,¡± the maid complained indignantly behind Mrs. Li¡¯s back, aiming to tarnish her reputation.


    The maids and old women in the yard had an eye for the way the wind blew, and of course, they listened to their masters. Paid by their masters, they naturally sided with the young madam. As for Mrs. Li the servant, they would trample on her if given the chance.


    Thus, they also whispered among themselves, criticizing Mrs. Li and calling her an uncultured country bumpkin. How could such a woman properly teach the Young Master!


    Mrs. Li placed all of these valuable items in a chest in the Princess¡¯s room and added two locks to it.


    She didn¡¯t know who else had keys to the locks in the Young Master¡¯s room, but these two new locks were, in fact, new ones that the Young Master had asked the housekeeper to buy. Previously, she had thought the Young Master bought these locks as toys to play with, never expecting that they would come in handy now.


    Mrs. Li locked the chest with the two new locks and kept the keys with her.


    Only then did she shut the Young Master¡¯s room door. She still needed to be by the Young Master¡¯s side.


    The malicious Maid Xiu Zhi returned to her room and applied ointment to her wound, feeling some pain. She looked outside and saw Mrs. Li leaving the Young Master¡¯s room and the courtyard.


    Her eyes shifted as she formulated another plan. She went to the yard, had someone close the gate, then entered the Young Master¡¯s room, searching with her eyes, where could Mrs. Li have placed those valuable items?


    Her gaze finally fell upon a larger chest, one she could carry out, but even if she could manage to move it out of the room, she wouldn¡¯t be able to take it out of Tang Mansion.


    Carrying out such a large chest would be quite conspicuous. Might her scheme backfire if too many people saw her?


    Xiu Zhi knew that even if the young madam might support what she was doing, if exposed, she would deny it and leave her as a scapegoat.


    Previously, as a maid, she too had a key to the Young Master¡¯s chest. She pulled out her keys and prepared to unlock it, only to discover the chest now had two new locks.


    ¡°When did Mrs. Li go and buy these locks?¡±


    Maid Xiu Zhi was in a hurry, trying each key she possessed but none could open the lock.


    ¡°Hmph, damn Mrs. Li¡­¡±


    Unable to unlock the chest, Maid Xiu Zhi stamped her feet in rage and left the room, closing the door behind her, shaking her head at the other waiting maids and old women outside.


    The other maids and old women, ranking below this Maid Daya, always took orders from them. With Daya unsuccessful, they went back to their own business, unaffected and uninvolved.


    The maid¡¯s plan had failed, and as she left the courtyard, her hands and feet ached from scrapes, and she walked with a limp. She went to find a maid close to the young madam to report the events.


    Maid Jufeng whispered a few words to the young madam¡¯s ear.


    Having understood something, the young madam quietly said to her maid, Jufeng,


    ¡°Tell that person to follow the Young Master¡¯s arrangements.¡±


    Maid Jufeng, seemingly understanding the young madam¡¯s intent, went out and conveyed her message to the other maid.


    Upon hearing the order, Xiu Zhi was reluctant but powerless, forced to endure the pain and returned to the Young Master¡¯s courtyard, harboring an even deeper resentment towards Mrs. Li.


    Mrs. Li arrived at the parlor, standing by the Young Master¡¯s side.


    ¡°Wet nurse, I want to go play with my friends.¡± Tang Shunyan had grown restless long ago, his patience for Mrs. Li¡¯s return completely spent.


    ¡°Well¡­ okay then!¡± Mrs. Li understood that children wouldn¡¯t stay with adults for too long, as kids always play with their peers.


    Tang Shunyan had a rare day off from school, and he didn¡¯t need to practice his martial arts, with so many boys and girls at home, he wanted to meet new friends and play with older cousins.


    ¡°Grandmother, mother, dear elders, I¡¯m going out to play,¡± Tang Shunyan said.


    The kindly Madam waved her hand and said, ¡°Go on! Watch out for your safety.¡±


    ¡°Child, do not go near the water or high places, and be careful,¡± the young madam said, somewhat worried.


    ¡°Grandmother, mother, I understand,¡± Tang Shunyan whispered his promise.


    ¡°Mrs. Li, you keep an eye on him!¡± The young madam instructed Mrs. Li again.


    ¡°Yes, young madam,¡± Mrs. Li bowed and responded.


    Tang Shunyan hurried out with his short little legs, and despite his size, he was quite fast when running.


    ¡°Young Master, watch out for the door sill,¡± Mrs. Li, following closely behind, kept on saying as she hurried after him.


    Zigzagging and hopping, since he learned the horse stance and had a bit of martial arts foundation, his jumping ability as a child was excellent. What challenge was a small door sill to him?


    With a leap, he jumped over it and turned back to Mrs. Li with a smile:


    ¡°Wet nurse, Shunyan is all grown up now, I will watch out for my safety.¡±


    Mrs. Li, upon hearing Tang Shunyan¡¯s words, smiled and followed his steps.


    Maid Mei Zhi also followed their pace; she served the young madam¡¯s wishes and kept close to Mrs. Li and the Young Master. As one of the senior maids in the Young Master¡¯s residence, Mei Zhi was even more astute than Xiu Zhi.


    Tang Shunyan arrived at the garden and saw a group of children playing chase and hide-and-seek games.


    He too wanted to join in, playing so wildly were some boys, all from wealthy families.


    Spoiled at home, they were restless even when visiting others¡¯, and since families of wealth often gathered, these children knew each other upon meeting and began playing games together.


    ¡°I want to join you too,¡± Tang Shunyan said, joining a group of boys all older than him, the eldest only by a few years.


    Those slightly older had become youths and would no longer play such childish games.


    ¡°Tang Shunyan, little cousin, you¡¯re the smallest. How can you keep up with us? Don¡¯t cry if you lose,¡± one boy said.


    ¡°Yeah, little cousin, don¡¯t cry and run your little nose, and don¡¯t go snitching if you lose,¡± another chimed in.


    The boys stopped their game and took turns speaking to Tang Shunyan.


    ¡°Hmph, don¡¯t think I¡¯m just a little kid, I¡¯ve already learned martial arts and am definitely better than you guys. Let¡¯s just wait and see if you ¡®weak chickens¡¯ can beat me,¡± Tang Shunyan retorted.


    After being spoken to by this group of older cousins like that, he was like a proud little rooster, ready to fight.


    ¡°Hmm, daring to call us ¡®weak chickens¡¯, little cousin, you sure have a big mouth,¡± one of the boys replied.


    ¡°I think our little cousin can¡¯t stand losing; let¡¯s have a contest then,¡± another suggested.


    Everyone started playing rock-paper-scissors, and the loser would become the catcher while the others became thieves.


    Tang Shunyan and some other children became thieves, and one of the cousins became the catcher.


    He kept hiding and was quite quick on his feet. The cousin couldn¡¯t catch him right away, thinking he would be the easiest due to his small size, but after running around for a while and getting breathless, the cousin gave up chasing Tang Shunyan to go after some other children.

 Chapter 42 - Chapter 42: Chapter 42 Being Mocked

    Chapter 42: Chapter 42 Being Mocked


    Tang Shunyan was also panting, looking very smug as he hadn¡¯t been caught by his cousin, chuckling and laughing all the while.


    Mrs. Li watched the Young Master at play, standing to the side and watching intently without blinking an eye.


    The weather in October was a bit chilly, and Tang Shunyan originally wore a brocade robe and a leopard skin cotton robe, which was just right for the weather. But when it was time to play, he took off the leopard skin cotton robe and handed it to Mrs. Li for safekeeping.


    Tang Shunyan, running around in his cotton robe, already had a sweaty face and rosy cheeks. If he wasn¡¯t playing, he would take off the cotton robe.


    After his cousin caught another cousin, he became the thief and the newly caught cousin turned into the catcher.


    Tang Shunyan seized the opportunity to take off his cotton robe.


    Mrs. Li took out a handkerchief she had embroidered herself and wiped the Young Master¡¯s sweat, reluctant to let the Young Master take off his thin clothes, thinking, what if he caught a cold?


    ¡°Wet nurse, I¡¯m very hot now; I should take it off, shouldn¡¯t I?¡± Tang Shunyan felt too hot. Usually, he wouldn¡¯t wear such thick clothes, it was just October, and as a child who practiced martial arts, he didn¡¯t feel too cold.


    Mrs. Li could only nod helplessly, carefully holding the Young Master¡¯s clothes, and making sure he didn¡¯t get cold when he stopped running around.


    The time for children¡¯s play passed quickly. Tang Shunyan heard the housekeeper calling, telling them to follow the adults to eat.


    Tang Shunyan and his cousin brothers agreed to play again next time they had the chance.


    He resolved that next time he saw his cousin and cousin brothers, he would definitely compare martial arts skills with them.


    Mrs. Li dressed the Young Master in his cotton clothes again and carefully wiped off his sweat.


    Jufeng, who was by the young madam¡¯s side, came over and said to Mrs. Li and maid Mei Zhi:


    ¡°The young madam said, the Young Master doesn¡¯t need to go to the restaurant to eat. They¡¯ve already sent back ten tables worth of food and wine. The Young Master and the young madam will eat in the courtyard.¡±


    Mrs. Li might have guessed that the young madam was pregnant and couldn¡¯t go to the restaurant, so they had some dishes prepared in their own courtyard. Of course, the main family members would eat here.


    The housekeepers might have the meals cooked by the mansion¡¯s chef, and today would probably be extra sumptuous?


    ¡°Oh,¡± Tang Shunyan heard that he couldn¡¯t go out to the restaurant to eat, but he didn¡¯t protest.


    They followed Jufeng to the main hall courtyard outside. Ten tables had been set up with food and drink for some of the main guests attending Mr. Tang¡¯s birthday celebration.


    Mrs. Li stood beside the Young Master, dressed him in his robe again, and carefully helped him with his food.


    Sitting at the table with Tang Shunyan were children of a few years old, boys and girls, all relatives of the family. Those under seven years old did not separate seating.


    Normally, they were supposed to sit with the elders, but today was special. The children liked sitting with other children, and each had maids or wet nurses helping them with food.


    ¡°Are you Tang Shunyan?¡± A little girl around the age of two or three, looking like a delicate doll, might have remembered Tang Shunyan¡¯s name from the elders¡¯ constant chattering around her. She wore a pink brocade dress, embroidered with lotus flowers.


    ¡°Hmm, who are you? I don¡¯t remember seeing you before,¡± the Young Master responded.


    Tang Shunyan eyed the proud little girl standing before him. He was taller than this girl, and she seemed even younger than him. Why would she remember his name?


    ¡°I am the granddaughter of the newly-appointed county magistrate, my name is Meng Zhaojun.¡± Meng Zhaojun blinked at Tang Shunyan.


    ¡°Meng Zhaojun, I¡¯m delighted to meet you. I am the granddaughter from the younger brother¡¯s family of Madam Tang, my name is Zhao Minjun. We both have the ¡®jun¡¯ character in our names¡ªit must be fate,¡± Zhao Minjun said, her slender figure a bit over two years old, trying hard to give off a cheerful and lively expression. She wore a pink brocade dress, a different style from Meng Zhaojun¡¯s, also decorated with embroidered flowers.


    ¡°So you¡¯re a cousin from the doctor¡¯s family. I don¡¯t remember you, but it is a pleasure to meet you,¡± said Tang Xiyue, the cousin who had been playing games with Tang Shunyan earlier.


    ¡°Meng Zhaojun, is it? It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, my name is Royce, Tang Shunyan¡¯s elder cousin.¡±


    Some other children also introduced themselves.


    Mrs. Li listened, and her thoughts couldn¡¯t help drifting back home again. Her children were older than these children, and even her eldest daughter Daya didn¡¯t have a name. Indeed, it was children from wealthy and official households who were mature beyond their years.


    ¡°Tang Shunyan, why do you smell like milk? You wouldn¡¯t still be breastfed at over two years old, would you?¡± Meng Zhaojun looked sharply at Mrs. Li, smelled the milk scent on her, and giggled, noting the milky fragrance on Tang Shunyan as well.


    The other children who knew the situation also laughed. It was normal for children of wealthy households to be breastfed until three or more years old.


    Meng Zhaojun¡¯s childlike candor indeed made Tang Shunyan¡¯s face turn bright red.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Tang Shunyan was laughed at by a girl younger than her and, at a loss for words, could only look to Mrs. Li for help.


    Mrs. Li, a countryside woman facing such astute and mature-minded little girls, feared offending them and could only say with a smile:


    ¡°Our Young Master loves milk-based foods, he needs to eat them to get enough nutrition to grow strong.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you like dairy foods, huh? We have a milk goat at home that is milked every day. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll have someone send some milk your way,¡± Meng Zhaojun said smartly, making a statement that left Tang Shunyan unable to respond, so she just nodded lightly.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled, hehe, Tang Shunyan, I¡¯ll come to visit your home, and later you should come to mine too.¡±


    Tang Shunyan could only nod again.


    ¡°Meng Zhaojun, may I come to your home too?¡± Tang Xiyue followed up and asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity we¡¯re going back to the Capital City tomorrow. Otherwise, I¡¯d visit you too. Just so you know, we have a dairy cow at home,¡± Royce mentioned, not because he wanted goat¡¯s milk; their estate also had a dairy cow.


    Zhao Minjun also appeared equally regretful and added, ¡°Our estate has dairy cows as well.¡±


    ¡°Does cow¡¯s milk taste the same as goat¡¯s milk?¡± Tang Shunyan was intrigued. His mother had always arranged wet nurses for him and had not given him cow¡¯s or goat¡¯s milk to drink.


    Maid Mei Zhi shot a glance at Mrs. Li, this village woman who didn¡¯t know how to speak. If the Young Master had enjoyed other kinds of milk, the Young Madam wouldn¡¯t have hired her.


    The Young Madam believed animal milk was less nutritious than human milk and feared it might make the Young Master sick.


    ¡°Young Master, cow¡¯s milk and goat¡¯s milk are not as nutritious as human milk, mainly because they¡¯re too gamey. They need to have the gamey taste removed to be palatable,¡± she said.


    ¡°Hmm, then maybe I shouldn¡¯t drink it,¡± Tang Shunyan looked at Mrs. Li, whom he liked the most.


    ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re not keeping your word. Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to try goat¡¯s milk?¡± Meng Zhaojun pouted at Tang Shunyan and ignored him.


    Tang Shunyan touched his nose and bowed his head to eat his meal.


    The other young lords and ladies seemed unaware of their quarrel and spoke a few words while eating.


    After finishing his meal, Tang Shunyan, not minding his peers, took Mrs. Li¡¯s hand. He was too tired from playing earlier and wanted to go back for a nap.


    Mrs. Li directly picked up Tang Shunyan, seeing how sleepy he looked, fearing he might fall over if he walked.


    Tang Shunyan fell asleep in Mrs. Li¡¯s arms, and when he woke up, seeing Mrs. Li sitting by the bed, he normally would have thought about breastfeeding. But recalling Meng Zhaojun¡¯s words, he held back the urge. Time to wean off milk!


    Thinking about weaning, Tang Shunyan¡¯s little heart ached.

 Chapter 43 - Chapter 43: Chapter 43 Ideas

    Chapter 43: Chapter 43 Ideas


    Tang Shunyan¡¯s just-awakened eyes were a bit hazy. He glanced at Mrs. Li and said to her, ¡°Wet nurse, I want to drink water.¡±


    Mrs. Li, with a smile, poured water for the Young Master to drink. The Young Master was growing up, and if it were not for his request to nurse, Mrs. Li would not have taken the initiative to breastfeed him.


    Mrs. Li felt somewhat embarrassed, the Young Master was becoming more sensible, and her milk was not as abundant as before, making the job of a wet nurse increasingly stressful.


    ¡°Wet nurse, where¡¯s my gift?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s in the box.¡±


    ¡°Then hurry up and close the door, unlock it; I want to see my gift,¡± Tang Shunyan, having quenched his thirst, was now fully awake, his bright eyes sparkling with the thought of the gift he received today.


    Smiling, Mrs. Li went to close the door. As she did, Xiu Zhi, who stood guard outside the Young Master¡¯s room, glared at Mrs. Li.


    Mrs. Li chose to ignore the glare. In this yard, she could only trust the Young Master and listen solely to his words.


    It was only after she had brought the Young Master back to the courtyard earlier that she had a chance to eat the meal delivered from the kitchen.


    She wasn¡¯t on good terms with the other people in the courtyard, never joining them for meals or conversation.


    She also dared not drink the water they brought. Once she had drunk water delivered by a maid from the courtyard, which resulted in vomiting and diarrhea. Since then, she had been careful and cautious, preferring to boil water herself in the kitchen when the Young Master was asleep.


    Sometimes she would drink water in the Young Master¡¯s room. The people in the courtyard dared not harm the Young Master openly, but even so, Mrs. Li remained vigilant.


    She remembered the time she went back home to visit her family, and the Young Master caught a cold¡ªan incident that could have been aimed at framing her or intended to harm the Young Master. Either way, the character of the person responsible was despicable.


    ¡°Wet nurse, put all these gifts away. Put all the gold in a bag. I¡¯ll use the money from here whenever I need it in the future.¡±


    ¡°Young Master, everything you need will be bought by someone. Do you ever need to spend money?¡±


    Mrs. Li had never seen a child with so many chests full of clothes for spring, summer, autumn, and winter, nor one whose food and supplies were all of the highest quality.


    Cherished to such an extent by his family, would Tang Shunyan ever have the chance to spend money himself?


    ¡°Wet nurse, who has been keeping my monthly salary?¡± Tang Shunyan had learned to count from the teacher and knew already the uses of gold, silver, and copper coins, and could do sums. He then remembered that he should have a monthly salary.


    ¡°Wet nurse doesn¡¯t know. It should be with the young madam, I guess!¡± Mrs. Li had only been there for a little over two months, and perhaps the young madam didn¡¯t trust her. Aside from the clothes, all other belongings of the Young Master were managed by others.


    Nor had she heard how much the Young Master¡¯s monthly salary was.


    Mrs. Li made sure to heed Mrs. Pan¡¯s advice to talk little and do more, and not to do anything harmful to others or herself.


    ¡°Oh, understood,¡± Tang Shunyan did not trouble his wet nurse with this matter and decided he would talk to his grandmother about it tomorrow. He believed his grandmother, being the housekeeper, was the one who dispensed the monthly salaries.


    ¡°Thump, thump, thump¡±


    Mrs. Li, hearing the knocking at the door, helped the Young Master put away his gifts and money, then locked it up before going to open the door.


    ¡°Ah,¡± as the door opened, she saw Jufeng, who accompanied the young madam, standing at the doorway.


    ¡°Mrs. Li, take the Young Master to the young madam¡¯s courtyard,¡± Jufeng said.


    ¡°Mhm,¡± Mrs. Li obediently took Tang Shunyan by the hand.


    Sometimes Mrs. Li would carry him there, but more often, Tang Shunyan felt he had grown up and preferred to bounce and jump his way there on his own.


    ¡°Cousin!¡±


    ¡°Cousin, hurry over and play!¡±


    In the young madam¡¯s courtyard, there were relatives¡¯ children who had not yet returned home.


    Tang Shunyan joined in their play.


    Zhao Minjun was also there, sitting on the side watching them play. She also wanted to join, but remembered her family¡¯s admonition that girls should not be too mischievous.


    Mrs. Li stood to one side watching them play, a smile on her face as her thoughts drifted to her own children at home.


    The children at home were also this age, but instead of enjoying the noble happiness a girl¡¯s life could bring, they were probably toiling away in the fields!


    ¡°Little cousin, I heard you can stand in horse stance. What other martial arts do you know?¡±


    When Tang Xiyue asked this, he was actually hoping to have a little competition with Tang Shunyan.


    ¡°I only know the horse stance, but later I will learn Qinggong and other martial arts.¡±


    Tang Shunyan felt he could brag about his cleverness a bit.


    ¡°Cousin, I¡¯ve already started reading The Analects. What about you?¡±


    Royce wanted to test Tang Shunyan.


    ¡°Ah! My teacher just taught me the Three Character Classic, and now he¡¯s teaching me the Thousand Character Classic.¡±


    Tang Shunyan looked at Royce with envy, as if he couldn¡¯t keep up with his cousin¡¯s pace.


    ¡°My teacher has taught me The Analects.¡± Tang Xiyue had only wanted to talk about martial arts, but after hearing them talk about their studies, he joined in to show off as well.


    It turned out the boys only thought about playing their games or practicing the martial arts they¡¯d just learned, and ended up reciting their lessons.


    Zhao Minjun blinked and blinked again, feeling that what the boys were learning was different from what the girls were taught.


    Her mother made her learn needlework, female virtue, Qin, Chess, Calligraphy, and Painting. There were so many lessons she couldn¡¯t remember them all, and she was often punished by her mother, who always called her stupid. In truth, she wanted to learn the martial arts that the boys played with.


    Dinner was served in the courtyard outside the main hall, under the bright light of hanging lanterns.


    Ten tables had been set up there, for distant guests who had not yet left and for family members of the host.


    That evening, Tang Shunyan sat with the children again, but this time without Meng Zhaojun at the dinner table.


    The cousins were leaving for the Capital the next day, and Tang Shunyan was reluctant to part with them, asking them to visit more often in the future.


    ¡°Cousin, the New Year will come soon, and you can come to our house to play at that time,¡± Zhao Minjun invited him.


    ¡°How far is your house?¡± Tang Shunyan had only been to the Capital once with his mother since he was born. Being too young, he didn¡¯t remember the journey well, only knowing that it required a day¡¯s carriage ride, which was very tiring. He had slept through most of the trip.


    ¡°Very far, a day¡¯s journey, right?¡± Royce was unclear on the exact distance as well.


    Zhao Minjun nodded along.


    The next morning, as soon as Tang Shunyan woke up, Mei Zhi, the maid, told him, ¡°Young Master, the young madam from your yard said that the servant from the county magistrate¡¯s house brought over sheep milk, specifically for the Young Master to drink. Would you like some sheep milk?¡±


    ¡°No, have the kitchen make it into pastries!¡± Tang Shunyan had only heard others say it was fishy, and as he was growing up, he was slowly weaning off human milk and refused to drink any other kind.


    ¡°Hmm, the young madam mentioned that since they sent sheep milk, should the Young Master also send something to Miss Sun from the county magistrate¡¯s house?¡± Mei Zhi certainly wasn¡¯t making her own decisions; this was something the young madam had asked her to inquire about with the Young Master.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t they bring sheep milk? Just pick some edible flowers from the yard and make them into flower pastries to send to Meng Zhaojun,¡± Tang Shunyan replied, finding the exchange of gifts a bit troublesome. He instructed Mei Zhi to make the arrangements, as he remembered the monthly salary he had thought about the day before and wanted to go find his grandmother.


    Seeing that the Young Master didn¡¯t want to talk further, Mei Zhi turned and left without giving Mrs. Li as much as a glance.


    Mrs. Li helped the Young Master get dressed and wash his face without ever lifting her head to watch Mei Zhi leave.


    ¡°Wet nurse, I want to have breakfast at Grandmother¡¯s courtyard.¡±


    Tang Shunyan proposed as Mrs. Li was about to take him out the door.


    ¡°Young Master, the young madam has sent for you,¡± Xiu Zhi chimed in quickly.


    ¡°No matter, I will visit Grandmother first, then go to Mother¡¯s,¡± Tang Shunyan replied with determination.

 Chapter 44 - Chapter 44: Chapter 44 Maid Stealing

    Chapter 44: Chapter 44 Maid Stealing


    Tang Shunyan was adamant about going to the Madam¡¯s courtyard, and Maid Mei Zhi dared not stop him any longer, only able to follow behind Mrs. Li and the Young Master.


    Xiu Zhi¡¯s leg injury had not yet healed, and she was watching over the yard, but she was unwilling to stay in the room all the time, and secretly went to rummage through Mrs. Li¡¯s belongings in her room.


    She wanted to find evidence to accuse Mrs. Li of embezzling the Young Master¡¯s money. She walked with a limp, dressed in Maid Daya¡¯s uniform, with cheap jade buttons on the wide sleeves. The hem of her clothes was broad.


    The lower garment was a pair of pants of the same color, and the shoes on her feet were embroidered shoes. She had rather large feet, and the shoes she wore were custom-made from an outside shoe store.


    Her body was fuller than the other Maids, so her uniform was also specially tailored.


    Tang Mansion had many properties in the county, including an embroidery workshop that made clothes for the people of the estate.


    Perhaps because everyone in the courtyard was united, before Xiu Zhi entered Mrs. Li¡¯s room, she asked the old woman guarding the door to keep a sharp eye out, in effect having her watch out for her.


    Xiu Zhi was not afraid of Mrs. Li but did not want to be caught red-handed either. Even with the young madam¡¯s support, Tang Mansion could not possibly allow a thief to serve in the Young Master¡¯s courtyard.


    When Xiu Zhi entered Mrs. Li¡¯s room, she found the room unlocked. Glancing at the room¡¯s simple furnishings, the only things on the bed were items distributed to the servants by the estate; there was nothing else.


    She went to check the only chest beside the bed. The chest was not locked, and inside she found only ordinary fabrics awarded to Mrs. Li by the estate, as well as some cotton. These items had already been cut, seeming to be patterns for children¡¯s clothing.


    Xiu Zhi looked down on these things. They were house slaves of Tang Mansion and had seen too many good things. Moreover, she had no need for children¡¯s clothes at the moment.


    Not having found anything useful in the chest, nor any money, Xiu Zhi refused to believe that Mrs. Li wasn¡¯t greedy. The Young Master didn¡¯t understand anything.


    Considering Mrs. Li was the only one who brought these things back, even she could hardly resist the temptation to embezzle a bit. How could this country woman, Mrs. Li, not be tempted by money?


    Xiu Zhi went on to rummage through the belongings on Mrs. Li¡¯s bed, turning everything upside down. She checked the bed board and even looked underneath the bed.


    Beneath the bed, everything was clear at a glance. Mrs. Li didn¡¯t own an extra pair of shoes; she only had those two sets of clothes. Xiu Zhi, unable to find anything of value, could only spit out in frustration.


    ¡°Pah, Mrs. Li, I just can¡¯t believe that you would be so kind, so honest¡­¡±


    Xiu Zhi haphazardly tidied up the things she had thrown into disarray before leaving Mrs. Li¡¯s small room. Standing in the Young Master¡¯s room, she saw that chest with the two new locks.


    In her mind, she came up with an idea. Could it be possible to open those two locks by finding a locksmith?


    Thinking this over, Xiu Zhi left the Young Master¡¯s room, instructing the little maids and the old women in the courtyard to keep a close watch, and then she took her coin purse to find her parents.


    Xiu Zhi¡¯s father was a driver at the estate, and her mother worked as an old woman in Madam¡¯s courtyard.


    Their family did not belong to any particular faction. On the surface, she was the young madam¡¯s confidante, but she was actually sent by Madam, the person in charge of the household, whose orders were followed throughout the entire estate.


    Madam was not considered the Old Lady, for there were still the Old Lady and the Old Master in the mansion. They simply did not manage affairs.


    Xiu Zhi couldn¡¯t find her father and had to entrust the matter to her mother, who also found it inconvenient to leave the estate to handle affairs. Only her father, the driver, had the opportunity to go out frequently.


    ¡°My daughter, even though the young madam has agreed to this, if it involves stealing her son¡¯s things and you manage to successfully frame Mrs. Li, that would be good. But if it¡¯s exposed, our family would not be able to stay in the estate, and you might end up in jail.¡±


    Xiu Zhi¡¯s mother discussed the pros and cons at length, discouraging her daughter from proceeding. Even if she were to go ahead, she should not do it herself but let the little maids carry it out.


    Xiu Zhi, upon hearing that the matter was exposed and that she could be imprisoned, felt her little heart pounding in fear. She was jealous of Mrs. Li, but she harbored no deep hatred towards her; the injuries on her body were intentionally caused by bumping into the hurt Mrs. Li.


    Mrs. Li, despite their repeated attempts to frame her, never took initiative to retaliate. In truth, she was a very honest farm woman.


    After listening to her mother¡¯s words, Xiu Zhi agreed with her mother and allowed her father to take care of the matter, after which she would instruct the little maid to carry it out.


    ¡­


    Tang Shunyan came into his grandmother¡¯s courtyard living room and paid his respects to his grandmother and grandfather. Sitting on a small stool beside them, he clasped his grandfather¡¯s thigh and looked up to his grandmother, saying,


    ¡°Grandmother, does your grandson receive a monthly salary?¡±


    The Madam of the house, with large bead hairpins mostly made of gold in her hair, wore noble green jade earrings and a necklace of gold and jade, with gold and jade also in the pendant of her gold necklace.


    She looked fixedly at Tang Shunyan and then glanced at Mrs. Li standing by her side. This servant looked very honest, but why had the grandson changed so much in the past two or three months?


    If she were to claim Mrs. Li wasn¡¯t teaching him, she wouldn¡¯t believe that a child of barely three years old could understand so much. She knew her grandson was intelligent, but children learn from the people and events around them; some things aren¡¯t understood just by being naturally smart.


    ¡°Grandson, your monthly salary is collected by your mother every month, you should ask her about it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, forget about the past salaries. Can grandmother keep my future salaries for me to manage?¡±


    Thinking of his mother¡¯s stern face and of his soon-to-be-born younger brother, who would compete for affection, Tang Shunyan couldn¡¯t let his mother manage his monthly salary. He needed to grow up fast and learn to manage everything on his own.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that it¡¯s not possible, but you¡¯re too young. The rule is that it should be given to your mother. You must convince your mother to keep it for you. Just like this time, with the many gifts you received, Grandmother supports you managing it yourself. But what do you need so much money for?¡±


    The Madam eyed Mrs. Li sternly, treating her as the one who had corrupted her grandson.


    ¡°Grandmother, when I grow up, I will have a lot to take care of. I want to start saving money from a young age. Mother will have a little brother soon, and my monthly salary is mine.¡±


    Tang Shunyan, so young, had all his thoughts and emotions displayed openly on his face, speaking them out honestly.


    ¡°Mrs. Li, do you admit your guilt?¡± Madam, upon hearing her grandson¡¯s words, directly accused Mrs. Li of wrongdoing.


    ¡°Madam, I did not teach the Young Master to say such things,¡± Mrs. Li said timidly, kneeling on the ground, her head bowed.


    Sitting above them, the Old Master looked at Mrs. Li with a different perspective from that of his wife. Glancing at his grandson, who was looking distraught and pleading, he considered that all these ideas might well be his grandson¡¯s own.


    ¡°Grandmother, please don¡¯t punish the wet nurse, it was my own idea,¡± said Tang Shunyan, who had been clinging to his grandfather¡¯s thigh but now clung to his grandmother¡¯s, pleading pitifully for Mrs. Li.


    ¡°You, speak up, did Mrs. Li teach the Young Master such words?¡±


    The Maid Mei Zhi was singled out by the Madam and, with her head bowed, she replied, ¡°To answer Madam, Mrs. Li often whispers to the Young Master. This servant cannot hear clearly what they say.¡±


    The Maid Mei Zhi¡¯s statement was like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, evidencing the accusation.

 Chapter 45 - Chapter 45: Chapter 45: Under Suspicion

    Chapter 45: Chapter 45: Under Suspicion


    Mrs. Li trembled, knowing she could not escape punishment this time, as tears had already started to drop from her face.


    Always fond of cleanliness, Mrs. Li was wearing a new set of winter clothes provided by the estate today, which included some cotton fabric that was very warm and comfortable.


    This was, of course, ten times better than the coarse clothes she wore at home, not even in the same class.


    ¡°Mrs. Li,¡± the Madam said with a stern and irritated expression she had never shown before, ¡°I¡¯d like to hear any excuses you might have.¡±


    ¡°What excuses could she possibly have? Corrupting my son, this housekeeper seems honest on the surface but is actually full of deceit. She¡¯s taking revenge because I wouldn¡¯t let her go home to visit her family.¡±


    While the Madam was interrogating Mrs. Li, a pregnant woman walked in from outside, supported by her maid Jufeng.


    This person was the young madam who, after a long absence and not coming to pay respects to her mother-in-law, couldn¡¯t help but question and chastise Mrs. Li in front of the Madam upon hearing the maid¡¯s betrayal.


    ¡°Why have you come? She is just a wet nurse, and I, as your mother-in-law, am still capable of questioning her.¡±


    The Madam knew how anxious the young madam was to come here after learning she was pregnant. Usually, she was excused from paying respects to rest, but even in the best mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationships, there are taboos.


    Of course, the mother-in-law would not want the daughter-in-law to seize power, insisting that everything stay under her control.


    The young madam sat down on a chair to the side, supported by Jufeng, and then looked back at her mother-in-law:


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been to pay respects in such a long time. This morning, I sent my son to visit me first, but who knew he would say he wanted to pay respects to you first? I knew he must have something on his mind, so I followed him here.¡±


    The young madam would certainly not foolishly reveal that someone had informed on her, for such a confession would let the mother-in-law know that her own compound was being watched.


    Go to ????????????????????.co


    ¡°Mhm, it¡¯s good you¡¯re here, so we don¡¯t have to go back and forth. Let¡¯s properly question her today.¡±


    After Madam finished speaking, her gaze returned to Mrs. Li.


    Mrs. Li, kneeling in the living room with her head lowered the entire time, had heard that the households of the wealthy were too complex before. One must be careful and cautious when serving in a wealthy family, yet even with her vigilance, people still framed her.


    She wanted to just throw in the towel and return home, but as an honest person, she could not bear the stigma of being wrongfully accused and driven out.


    Such a bad reputation would follow her for a lifetime; she would be cursed by her in-laws, and she¡¯d live in shame in her village, unable to face her own family.


    ¡°Grandmother, mother, you can¡¯t blame the wet nurse; this was really my idea.¡±


    Tang Shunyan had initially clung to his grandfather¡¯s feet, then his grandmother¡¯s, and now that his mother had arrived, he ran over to embrace her legs.


    ¡°Son, you are still young, and you should not readily accept what others say. You never used to ask your mother for monthly salary, nor would you speak such words. Mrs. Li came to the house only a little over two months ago, and you¡¯ve changed so much. Can it be that accusing Mrs. Li is a wrongful blame?¡±


    The young madam looked at her son, feeling a sense of estrangement, wondering how her own flesh and blood could be swayed by others.


    Whether or not Mrs. Li had committed the act, in her eyes, the woman was guilty.


    ¡°Mother, I have grown up now. Should I still ask you for money every time I need to buy something? Am I still the son of a wealthy family? I am worse off than a merchant¡¯s son. They receive pocket money and can freely spend it.¡±


    ¡°`


    Tang Shunyan was able to say so many words in one breath. Don¡¯t think that just because he¡¯s so young he doesn¡¯t have his own thoughts. He had had thoughts before but had not expressed them. After pondering for several days, he had already memorized a string of words in his heart.


    ¡°How could Shunyan say such a thing? You have not studied outside the estate. When you get older and go to the academy, your mother will naturally give you money. How could you carry money with you casually when you¡¯re so young?¡±


    The young madam was insistent, believing that someone must have put her son up to asking for money.


    ¡°Mother, this time I played with so many cousins, as well as Meng Zhaojun. They all have the autonomy to use money. Even though the monthly salary is not much, it still belongs to me. Our family¡¯s enterprise is so vast, mother, why won¡¯t you let me use my monthly salary?¡±


    The young madam couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing from her son, who was only a little over two years old, about to turn three. Could such fluent speech really come from such a small child?


    When she thought of herself at that young age, wasn¡¯t she doing whatever her own mother asked of her?


    In the living room, aside from the young madam, both the Old Master and Madam were somewhat incredulous as they watched Tang Shunyan. This child, at the tender age of two or three, was able to argue with an adult with such cleverness.


    Mrs. Li was still kneeling there, more and more terrified as she listened to the Young Master¡¯s words.


    She had never heard the Young Master speak in such a manner. No wonder the master¡¯s family accused her of instigating trouble. If a small child could say such things, if she were in the master¡¯s shoes, she too would believe an adult had taught him.


    Even if it was an injustice to her, Mrs. Li wasn¡¯t as heartbroken as before. Now, it was the Young Master who was causing trouble.


    ¡°Grandson, you keep talking about managing money. Do you have some thoughts on this? Can you share them with your grandfather? If you can convince me with a reason, I will take charge and give you a monthly allowance. If your mother gives it all to you, your grandfather will give you an additional monthly salary.¡±


    Mr. Tang and his wife had different thoughts. Sometimes men need to have money on them in order to get things done.


    Women always want to transfer their husband¡¯s money into their own private stash, but men need to save some money to accomplish big tasks too. When going out, one must socialize; in a household like theirs, who does not spend generously?


    ¡°Husband,¡±


    ¡°Old Master,¡±


    Mr. Tang raised his hand to stop his wife and daughter-in-law from speaking further. Men control the outside, women control the inside. Many matters in the house were left to his wife to handle, and he took care of external affairs. However, when it came to major decisions involving family members, it was still for him, the head of the house, to decide.


    ¡°Grandfather, grandson has no ulterior motives. Before, I was unaware of the hardships of life, but since the wet nurse came, I learned that her family is so poor. Her sisters have to work at such a young age,¡±


    ¡°The wet nurse didn¡¯t go home this time. I saw her secretly crying in her room at night. I thought, when I have money one day, I could buy some gifts to visit the wet nurse¡¯s sisters. If I don¡¯t have a single penny with me, I won¡¯t be able to buy any gifts.¡±


    ¡°After all, I am a young master of a rich family. It would be too shameful not to be able to present a gift when seeing the wet nurse¡¯s sisters.¡±


    Perhaps it was because Tang Shunyan had kept these thoughts in his heart for the past few days, that at such a young age he could speak so articulately and logically, without a hint of vagueness, as maturely as an adult would speak.


    The living room was very quiet, everyone looked at Tang Shunyan in shock. Was this the little child they knew? Could these words really be coming from a child still being breastfed?


    ¡°Clap clap clap,¡±


    Suddenly, the sound of clapping came from the entrance of the living room. A rich young master entered, it was Mr. Tang, the Eldest Young Master, who came in clapping his hands and then gave his son a thumbs up, saying:


    ¡°Worthy of being my son, so young and already knows to buy gifts when meeting people, understands compassion and pity.¡±


    ¡°`

 Chapter 46 - Chapter 46: Chapter 46 Lady Tang

    Chapter 46: Chapter 46 Lady Tang


    ¡°`


    ¡°Husband, our son has been taught by Mrs. Li to drift away from us, is that also a good thing?¡±


    Young Madam always felt like a thorn was stuck in her heart whenever she thought about her son taking his monthly salary and using it to buy gifts for Mrs. Li¡¯s daughters.


    She had always believed that her son must remain under her control.


    ¡°Madam, our son will be a man when he grows up, and if he has his own opinions, our family will grow stronger and richer. This is our legacy.¡±


    The Eldest Young Master had different thoughts from his wife; sometimes, he even felt his wife was a bit petty.


    Perhaps it was because his wife was not born of the principal line, and although she was raised in a wealthy family, she bore the air of a petty household.


    He could marry his wife because he was schoolmates and good friends with her legitimate brother. He himself had once had both civil and military strategy, even aspiring to become the Martial Arts Top Scorer as well as the top scorer in literature but had given up due to some matters and returned home to take over the family business.


    During his father¡¯s birthday this time, his wife¡¯s legitimate brother brought his wife and child to visit, both to honor him and to see his old friend.


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s right, Weiting is correct. Our family indeed has a successor,¡± Mr. Tang, Tang Hailong, believed their father and son had the right idea.


    ¡°Naturally, since the Old Master says so, daughter-in-law, you can decide,¡± agreed Madam.


    ¡°Mother, since you¡¯ve said so, as a daughter-in-law, I will listen to my husband. From next month on, let Liang Fa give the monthly salary to Shunyan,¡± said the young madam.


    Lady Tang, unable to gain control over her son and abiding by the majority rule, felt that it was within the rules for a woman to follow her husband after marriage.


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    ¡°Hehe, that¡¯s wonderful! Then, Grandfather, Grandmother, and Mother, please don¡¯t punish the wet nurse. Shunyan doesn¡¯t want to make the wet nurse sad,¡± Tang Shunyan, the little guy, stood up, wanting to help Mrs. Li.


    Mrs. Li, who had her head down from earlier, was grateful for the main family¡¯s decision not to punish her.


    The most significant gratitude, of course, was because the Young Master bought gifts for her children, which led to the discussion about money.


    The Tang Family supported the Young Master in doing this, possessing a kind heart; she didn¡¯t think she was so significant to be treated like family by the employers. The distinction between master and servant was clear.


    ¡°Stand up! From now on, take good care of the Young Master and don¡¯t talk about things you shouldn¡¯t. After all, he is too young to discern right from wrong,¡± instructed Madam.


    Mrs. Li stood up and bowed to the family, saying, ¡°This humble woman understands.¡±


    Young Madam pouted, only then remembering the morning¡¯s incident of searching for her son.


    ¡°Shunyan, the goat¡¯s milk sent by the County Magistrate¡¯s granddaughter, did you say to have it made into milk pastries, and have they been sent over?¡±


    Tang Shunyan nodded and said, ¡°She teased me yesterday for drinking human milk. I told her I wasn¡¯t used to goat milk, yet she still sent it. Sigh, I don¡¯t even like pastries made with goat milk; Mother, please send it back!¡±


    ¡°Oh, when did my son become so familiar with the County Magistrate¡¯s granddaughter?¡±


    The Young Madam knowingly asked in front of the elders. The maid, Mei Zhi, had already informed her of yesterday¡¯s incident, but she brought it up in front of the elders to make them pay more attention to her son and his familiarity with the County Magistrate¡¯s granddaughter.


    ¡°Yesterday. Wasn¡¯t it you who arranged for all us children to sit together? She introduced herself, but actually, we¡¯re not that familiar,¡± said Tang Shunyan, who preferred playing with his male cousins and friends, since he couldn¡¯t play with girls and didn¡¯t see them as potential friends.


    ¡°Then, will Shunyan personally deliver it?¡± Young Madam was just saying it casually; how could she really let her son go to someone else¡¯s house with a servant? After all, her son wasn¡¯t even three years old yet.


    ¡°`


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to do it? Our son has lessons in the morning and also in the afternoon,¡± Tang Shunyan didn¡¯t know why his first reaction was to refuse.


    ¡°Husband, let the tutor rest for a morning and let the child take some things to the county magistrate¡¯s house with someone,¡± the young madam gazes at her husband. She wished to become friends with the county magistrate¡¯s wife, so after she had her child, they could keep in close contact.


    ¡°Let¡¯s listen to the child, don¡¯t do anything, children have their own way of interacting, and the waters are deep here,¡± Tang Weiting certainly understood his wife¡¯s thinking.


    ¡°Alright then!¡± The young madam, not entirely willing, still agreed to send the pastries over.


    Tang Shunyan felt that everything that needed to be done was handled, and since it was almost time for his lessons, he called Mrs. Li to return to their courtyard.


    Mrs. Li obediently agreed with her head lowered and followed Tang Shunyan out of this suffocating living room.


    ******


    So many things had happened in the Tang Mansion, but the Ye family, who had just finished harvesting rice at home, would not think too much about it after they had finished their tasks.


    Hongji again turned over the field; after that was done, he helped plant potatoes. If planted now, they could harvest them in March, and all these were grains.


    Daya, Er Ya, and Sanya were not idle either, helping their father in the fields.


    Since Hongji couldn¡¯t do carpentry at home, Hongji¡¯s father also couldn¡¯t work in the fields, and he had not received any other carpentry work yet but urgently needed to make a dowry for the Second Miss.


    At night, Hongji also helped out in the darkness, still unable to fulfill his promise to make toys for his little daughter.


    Mrs. Lai and her two daughters had a hard time drying all the rice from the two acres of fields and then storing it in the warehouse before taking the new rice to be hulled.


    The Ye family finally had new rice to eat, still dry rice, which made everyone in the family very happy.


    Ye Shiqi was discovered by Siwa eating honey one day. She had also given some to her aunts and her wet nurse. Since then, she didn¡¯t dare to take out the honey to eat again.


    When she was very hungry at night, she imagined her body entering the space; eating alone there didn¡¯t feel good, but she had to do so to prevent others from discovering the secret of the space.


    In the space, the rice had already been harvested once, and for the space¡¯s products to be hulled, it was just a matter of thought.


    Looking at the hulled white rice piled up in the space, she couldn¡¯t help but swallow saliva.


    In her past and present life, she had never cooked rice before; there was no pot for cooking rice in the space, and at nearly four months old, she still couldn¡¯t walk. She didn¡¯t want to crawl because she was particular about cleanliness and felt it was dirty.


    She thought of a way, which was to have her eldest sister cook rice every time and ask her fourth sister to hold her to the side of the kitchen.


    From this position, she could use her thoughts to pour some rice from the space into the rice bin, but not too much; only about a bowl each time, just so as not to let the family members find out.


    A few days later, Ye Shiqi thought she was doing it undetected, but Mrs. Lai felt it strange when the rice bin seemed to have more rice and discussed it with her old man.


    That night before going to sleep, Mrs. Lai sneakily checked the rice bin again. Every time they cooked, she personally took out the rice.


    She knew precisely how much new rice was hulled this time; Li Wei had already finished the new rice, yet there was still so much left, which surprised her and made her think that immortals were sending gifts to her home at midnight.


    ¡°Old man, do you think we have immortals sending us rice? It¡¯s so odd, we had hulled just a little bit of rice, and I thought we¡¯d have to hull more soon, but there¡¯s still half a vat left.¡±


    Hongji¡¯s father, who had worked hard harvesting rice in the past few days and had been busily doing carpentry, was so tired that he fell asleep as soon as he lay on the bed. Hearing his wife¡¯s words in his daze, he woke up bewildered.


    ¡°Really? Is there really such a thing? Our family has encountered good fortune! Make sure you don¡¯t go around telling everyone about it,¡± Hongji¡¯s father was a theist and believed that there were immortals in the sky. Otherwise, what was the point of the God of Wealth they worshiped every year?

 Chapter 47 - Chapter 47: Chapter 47 An Idea Comes to Mind

    Chapter 47: Chapter 47 An Idea Comes to Mind


    Mrs. Lai¡¯s joyfully mysterious smile revealed her belief that she was very clever as she said,


    ¡°Of course I won¡¯t say anything, I¡¯ve been puzzled for days, and I¡¯ve only told you about it. I haven¡¯t said a word to the rest of the family out of fear that the immortals will think we¡¯ve discovered their secret and will no longer send us rice.¡±


    ¡­


    Ye Shiqi didn¡¯t know that her grandmother suspected the involvement of immortals, and for now, her space could only yield rice, with just one variety of rice seed.


    Every two or three days she could harvest the rice, and although she didn¡¯t plant much, each harvest yielded several dozen catties. By envisioning a little rice into the rice jar each day, her space still piled up with rice, looking to be about 100 catties.


    Every night, Ye Shiqi would diligently enter her space, where the bees were becoming ever more numerous and busier gathering nectar.


    Seeing the honey flow out of the honeycombs, she couldn¡¯t possibly eat all the honey right away, and was even more reluctant to take the honey out for fear that if her family knew, they might spread the word and consider her a monster.


    After harvesting, Daya would take her two younger sisters to the fields, planting potatoes in the ground and sowing seeds for greens, as well as planting garlic and onions, which they watered every day.


    They also had to weed out pigweed, and the piglets that the sow had given birth to had already been sold, while they continued to raise the sow at home.


    At this time, Mrs. Lai would sneak away to help her eldest daughter take care of the children, as the family¡¯s rice had already been dried.


    Third Aunt and second aunt had resumed their needlework in their room.


    Daya, with her two sisters, would always come back before cooking lunch to prepare the meal, and likewise before dinner to cook the evening meal.


    Ye Shiqi, who stayed in the room with Siwa, would appear in the kitchen when her elder sisters were cooking.


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    Ye Shiqi kept pondering, what could she use to store the excess honey from her space?


    Spotting an empty jar in a corner of the kitchen, she smelled the scent of pickled vegetables, her mother wasn¡¯t home, and the pickles had been eaten long ago, leaving some empty jars.


    Suddenly inspired, Ye Shiqi envisioned one of the empty jars into her space.


    With so many empty pickling jars in different sizes in the corner, the disappearance of one wouldn¡¯t attract attention.


    The empty jar Ye Shiqi envisioned into her space could hold about four or five catties.


    ¡°Wuya, what are you doing? This place is dirty, let your Siwa take you somewhere else to play!¡±


    In a moment of inattention from Siwa, Wuwa moved too fast, so agile even with hands scrambling on the ground, that she vanished from sight in the blink of an eye.


    After searching everywhere, she found her in a kitchen corner by the empty jars, where there was a pungent smell; adults in the family generally didn¡¯t allow children there, not because it was dirty, but because of the many jars¡ªthey were afraid the kids might carelessly break them.


    ¡°Ah ah¡±


    Ye Shiqi picked up Wuwa to see the still smoldering charcoal in the stove; it was nearly midday, and her sisters hadn¡¯t come home yet, so no one else had come into the kitchen to cook.


    After the busyness of farming was over, Hongji, having planted potatoes in the fields, followed his father to do carpentry.


    For the time being, he hadn¡¯t started making wooden dolls for Ye Shiqi.


    Yet Ye Shiqi was very fixated on the wooden dolls, recognizing that her parents had no savings and the family needed another livelihood.


    But because of her young age and inability to speak, she couldn¡¯t express many things and had to act practically, holding a piece of charcoal as if it were a pen.


    ¡°Wuwa, this charcoal is dirty. Let¡¯s not play with it¡ªit¡¯ll stain our clothes, and it¡¯s really hard work for elder sister to wash them.¡±


    Wuwa felt sorry for her elder sister, and her words made Ye Shiqi, who was holding the charcoal, pause for a moment.


    The little one glanced pleadingly outside the kitchen, at the two aunts sitting by the window.


    Using the excuse that farm work was very taxing, these two aunts had refused to wash the clothes of the children, leaving the laundry for Daya to do.


    Her elder sister would rise before dawn to cook breakfast for the entire family and then, when the water was still cold in the morning, would carry their sisters¡¯ clothes to the riverside to wash them.


    Ye Shiqi knew that their father was too filial, and wouldn¡¯t be able to stand up to the family just yet; she understood that changing their situation would take time, and she needed to grow up slowly.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Ye Shiqi stubbornly clung to the charcoal, darting away from Wuwa¡¯s attempts to snatch it from her, deftly avoiding Wuwa¡¯s grasps several times.


    And soon she scrambled out of the kitchen, her speed of crawling rivaling Wuwa¡¯s running.


    ¡°Qing, put down the charcoal. Are you planning to take it back to the room?¡± Siya chased after her, speaking as she did.


    ¡°Second Sister, those two kids are so annoying. I get irritated just by seeing them every day. They¡¯re at an age where they have the least to do, yet they keep making a fuss.¡±


    Ye Shuzhen had come to detest these two kids while she was helping with the rice threshing. While they were working so hard, these two could afford to sit around, sleep in, and do nothing. Her hatred was born of envy.


    ¡°Yeah! Really annoying, always fluttering before our eyes, less busy than us and yet full of energy.¡±


    Ye Shuzhi shared Ye Shuzhen¡¯s sentiment, actually being jealous of the little kids for not having to work, unlike themselves who had to do more as they grew older.


    Hongji heard the sounds of the two kids chasing each other and this honest man stopped his carpentry work to look. Siya was trying to take the charcoal from Wuwa, not wanting her to get her clothes dirty.


    Wuwa held the charcoal in one hand while using the other to crawl on the ground, yet did not seem to get the charcoal on herself. Even though this child was crawling on the ground all the time, every time he picked up Wuwa, he felt she was remarkably clean.


    She seemed much cleaner than his father, who was always working, and in no way resembled a child of just a few months who could already go to the toilet by herself, not even needing to wake him, her father, in the middle of the night.


    He had slept deeply through exhaustion after the farm work, waking up only at dawn a number of times, and Wuwa hadn¡¯t called for him. Being both father and mother seemed to have become somewhat easier.


    Wuwa¡¯s oddities were only clear to him, her father, who was always with her. The other family members weren¡¯t fully aware.


    He would not discuss this topic with others. Wuwa must have had some other reason for taking the charcoal, so he told Siya:


    ¡°Siya, stop chasing your sister. Be careful not to fall. Let her play!¡±


    Upon hearing her father¡¯s words, Siya stopped in her tracks and looked at her father, acknowledging with an ¡°Mm.¡±


    Hongji¡¯s father seemed not to notice everything going on in the yard, yet he was all ears.


    The son had kept having daughters, much like he and his wife had wanted another son but continuously had daughters, eventually forcing them to give up.


    His son having four daughters left him feeling helpless; whenever he went out, he felt he couldn¡¯t lift his head in the presence of families with many sons. He was always aware of their disdainful looks, as if they looked down on them for only having daughters.


    The old woman was unkind to her son¡¯s children, and he turned a blind eye, partly because he harbored resentment, taking it out on those daughters.


    ¡°Hmph, big brother is something else, isn¡¯t he? It¡¯s just a daughter, but look how he dotes on her.¡± Ye Shuzhen couldn¡¯t help but feel that in the past two or three months, her brother had changed, taking more responsibility for his children than before.


    ¡°Right, when we get married, we must have sons. Let him dote on his daughters and be frustrated.¡± Ye Shuzhi also held a grudge against her elder brother; he had started to take care of his small household and wasn¡¯t as good to her as before.

 Chapter 48 - Chapter 48: Chapter 48 Heavenly God Portrait

    Chapter 48: Chapter 48 Heavenly God Portrait


    Ye Shiqi successfully brought back some charcoal to her room and crouched over some discarded wooden strips her father had placed there.


    She looked for a slightly larger piece and drew a wooden doll she had seen online in her previous life.


    Online, Ultraman was always being shown, with many such toys being made by people.


    She tried to draw the shape of an Ultraman. In her previous life, she had a foundation in drawing; sketching was the simplest. She carefully used the charcoal, but her small hands were not very strong, which made her handicraft skills quite weak.


    What she held was not a paintbrush, but the simple shapes didn¡¯t stop her.


    ¡°Sister, what is this?¡± Siya crouched next to her sister, curiously looking on.


    She thought her sister was just randomly drawing on the wood, but as it began to resemble a certain character, Siya couldn¡¯t help but let her curiosity get the better of her and she asked.


    ¡°This is a warrior,¡± Ye Shiqi didn¡¯t know how to respond, so she used this topic to explain.


    ¡°Warrior? What¡¯s a warrior? Does our country have them?¡± Siya had heard from their father that their country was in an era of peace and prosperity, and although their family was poor, they lived peaceful and happy days.


    ¡°Oh, if there¡¯s no war, there are no Heavenly Gods! This one is a hero, they only appear during wars,¡± Ye Shiqi vaguely said, not even sure if this world in the book had foreign countries.


    ¡°Hero? What¡¯s a hero? Is this a Heavenly God hero?¡±


    Siya¡¯s eyes were filled with wonder as she gazed at the wooden doll in Ye Shiqi¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t father say that our dynasty also has generals? Generals are heroes!¡± Ye Shiqi explained again, having already sketched out a simple Ultraman.


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    Then she began drawing a fairy, recalling the TV dramas from her previous life with fairies wearing celestial robes and capable of flying through the sky and burrowing into the ground.


    She wondered if this world in the book had any concept of deities, but if she made wooden dolls of fairies, would there be a market for them?


    In Ye Shiqi¡¯s little head, all she thought about all day was making money, thinking that if she could help her family earn money, she wouldn¡¯t have to go without meat.


    In her past life of luxury, Ye Shiqi used to be scared of meat, fearing obesity.


    Eating meat leads to lots of fat, and even when she studied abroad, she didn¡¯t adopt the bread-eating habits of foreigners, always going to Chinese restaurants to eat Chinese food when dining out.


    Having a stepmother and a caring father, she hadn¡¯t endured much hardship.


    However, in this world within the book, she suffered much hardship even in her childhood, never even tasting meat.


    ¡°Siwa, is this Sister Mei?¡± Wuwa recognized in the wooden doll that Siwa was drawing, which must be a fairy elder sister from the picture-story books.


    ¡°Yes, elder sister is really smart.¡± Ye Shiqi had spent some time drawing two images and felt a bit tired and thought it was time to rest, so she placed the two pieces of wood on the table.


    ¡°Hehe, Wuwa, I¡¯ll take you to wash your hands.¡± Siya had strong hands; at just over four months old, Wuwa could already be lifted by her, perhaps because she had gotten used to it and built up the strength in her arms.


    Hongji felt thirsty, so he stopped his work, poured a cup of water, and drank a few sips. The noise from his work earlier was so loud that he could not hear what the two little girls were doing or talking about in their room.


    Seeing that the two girls had gone to wash their hands, Hongji, out of curiosity, decided to first go back to the room to see what was going on, feeling that Wuwa wouldn¡¯t just be using charcoal to draw on the walls.


    Why he felt this way, he couldn¡¯t quite understand. His little daughter¡¯s actions were so numerous that they piqued his curiosity to investigate further.


    As Hongji reached the doorway of the room, he saw on the room¡¯s only small table, the previously collected discarded wood, not the focus of his attention, but the two wooden strips had been drawn on with charcoal.


    ¡°Heavenly God Warrior, fairy?¡± Hongji nervously took a few steps into the room and picked up the two pieces of wood.


    As a carpenter who drew patterns and designs, the patterns he produced never seemed as clear or lifelike as these two small ones.


    Hongji, unable to put the drawings down, heard the footsteps of little Siwa and turned to see Siwa coming in, holding Wuwa.


    ¡°Dad, do you know the warrior hero and Sister Mei?¡±


    ¡°Siwa, did Wuwa draw these?¡± Hongji looked at his little girl as if she were a treasure, but since the little girl couldn¡¯t speak, he could only ask Siya, who was present.


    ¡°Yes, Wuwa drew them. Does Wuwa really like the warrior and Sister Mei?¡± Siya looked at her father with hopeful eyes, her little heart believing that with such beautiful drawings, Dad could surely make the toys.


    In her young heart, Dad could do anything.


    ¡°Good, I¡¯ll go carve the toys now.¡±


    Hongji¡¯s eyes shone with a hint of pride, feeling good about being admired by his daughter. Since he was young, he had loved carving, and under his father¡¯s guidance, he had become a carpenter and made it his profession.


    In fact, he had aspirations to become a master carver, but his drawing skills were lacking, and no one here sought him out to make toys.


    Plus, there were no other materials available to practice on. Toys made from ordinary wood were never valuable and would be a waste of paint.


    If it were valuable wood, it would be different, but he did not have access to valuable wood here; the nearby mountains only had pine and fir.


    These two types of wood sparked Hongji¡¯s dreams. Even though it was just ordinary wood, he wanted to create beautiful carvings, not for selling but for the children to play with.


    ¡°Hee hee hee,¡± Siya hopped joyfully as she watched Dad take the wood outside.


    Ye Shiqi blinked. Could Dad handle carving? Wouldn¡¯t it waste the drawings she made?


    In any case, she could only see if her dad had the skill. She couldn¡¯t wield a carving knife as a child and didn¡¯t know how to carve without Dad¡¯s teaching.


    Hongji took two small pieces of wood to the thatched carpenter¡¯s room, picked up his carving tools, and without concerning himself with the furniture he was working on, began to carve carefully.


    ¡°Hongji, what are you doing? Didn¡¯t see, are you rushing to get work done? Since when have you become so irresponsible? Ignoring important tasks to make toys?¡±


    Hongji¡¯s father didn¡¯t see the drawings on the wood in his son¡¯s hands and assumed his son was indulging his daughter, neglecting proper carpentry work and focusing first on his granddaughter¡¯s toys.


    ¡°Dad, let me carve these two toys first; maybe our family could gain a new source of income.¡±


    ¡°You can forget that thought; haven¡¯t you made toys and tried to sell them before? What was the result? You just wasted paint and labor. You¡¯re not young anymore; you can¡¯t consider playful carving a business. We need to hurry up and finish your sister¡¯s dowry, then take on other work.¡±


    Hongji listened to his father¡¯s discouraging words, words he had heard many times before and had tried hard only to give up.


    He felt he couldn¡¯t give up again. Even if not as a livelihood, he had to make these two toys for the children to play with.


    ¡°Dad, you need to speak to my elder brother. He always spoils his kids so much, helping me with my dowry isn¡¯t important to him; Brother is too biased.¡±


    Ye Shuzhi heard her father and brother talking in the room, the courtyard was small enough that loud conversations could be heard.


    She felt a surge of anger, her words tinged with fury.


    ¡°Shuzhi, once I¡¯ve carved these two toys, I will work overtime to get your dowry done. It definitely won¡¯t delay your wedding day. Don¡¯t talk about bias; they¡¯re my children too.¡±


    Hongji retorted without even looking up.

 Chapter 49 - Chapter 49: Chapter 49 The Prodigal

    Chapter 49: Chapter 49 The Prodigal


    ¡°Father, look at what Big Brother said, you must speak to him.¡± Ye Shuzhi stomped her foot in the room, even angrier after hearing her elder brother¡¯s words.


    ¡°Big Brother is always so biased.¡± Ye Shuzhen added fuel to the fire as she fanned herself.


    ¡°Hongji, work on the furniture first, and you can make toys for the children when you have time.¡± After hearing his daughters¡¯ complaints, Hongji¡¯s father glared at his son, feeling that he did not prioritize properly.


    ¡°Father, look at this drawing. If I were to make a toy out of it, do you think people would buy it?¡± Hongji showed his father the drawing on the wood.


    ¡°This¡­ who painted this? It¡¯s really good, Heavenly Gods and fairies¡­¡± Hongji¡¯s father exclaimed in admiration.


    ¡°Father, just now when I went back to my room, I saw Wuwa with this piece of wood. As soon as I saw it, I couldn¡¯t resist the urge to carve it out. Even if we don¡¯t sell it, it can still be a toy for Wuwa to play with.¡±


    Hongji began to carve the wood with his hands.


    Hongji¡¯s father, being a carpenter, had decent carving skills, but he had not studied the art of carving drawings, and his craft was not as good as his son¡¯s.


    Carving large pieces of furniture was not as difficult as these small drawings. The smaller the item, the harder it was to carve.


    He no longer scolded his son and let him continue carving.


    Ye Shuzhi, listening from the side with her ear turned, glared angrily at her elder brother for making toys for his child instead of making her bridal dowry first.


    Ever since Big Brother got married, she, as the younger unmarried sister-in-law, had been competing for favor with her sister-in-law. This sibling rivalry was the reason for their disharmony.


    Now she had to compete for attention with the children too. It was only natural that she had to vent some of her frustration on them.


    Go to ????????????????????.co


    Ye Shiqi, having just finished painting two portraits, was too tired to continue. She lay there thinking.


    She speculated about the world in the book. Which immortal was the one they worshiped? Was it Huang Daxian, or The Bodhisattva Guanyin, or maybe The Buddha, possibly the Jade Emperor, the Imperial Mother, or it could be the Heavenly Soldiers and Generals, or even the Land God and the God of Wealth?


    She decided next time she would try to paint the Goddess of Mercy, an immortal from the mythical stories.


    When Mrs. Lai returned home, Daya had already brought her two younger sisters back and had gone into the kitchen to cook.


    Ye Shuzhi told her mother about her grievances, asking her to persuade Big Brother.


    After hearing her daughter¡¯s words, Mrs. Lai naturally took her side and hurriedly went to Hongji, starting to scold him:


    ¡°Hongji, what are you doing? Don¡¯t you know what¡¯s important? Your sister is getting married in a month. How can you not think about making her dowry?¡±


    ¡°Mother, look at what I¡¯m carving. This thing is also quite important. Maybe if I carve a few more, I can even give them as gifts to Shuzhi.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that? Aren¡¯t those just children¡¯s playthings? Those worthless things, they can play without needing to carve them.¡±


    ¡°How can you say that, Mother? Have you seen what I¡¯m carving in my hands? They are Heavenly Gods and fairies.¡±


    Mrs. Lai did not quite believe her son could possess such artistic skill.


    Still, she looked carefully at what her son was carving. It wasn¡¯t yet fully formed but it showed promise. She then said:


    ¡°Son, if you can carve immortals, then carve a portrait of a worshiped immortal for me!¡±


    ¡°This¡­ I¡¯ll see if I have the time. Didn¡¯t you say we should quickly work on Second Sister¡¯s dowry? Everything else can be carved slowly.¡±


    ¡°Child, we mustn¡¯t delay, you need to carve a Fertility Guanyin, and for your sister¡¯s dowry you also need to carve a Fertility Guanyin for her,¡± Mrs. Lai felt that not having a child to continue the family line was always a thorn in her heart.


    ¡°A Fertility Guanyin? All right!¡± Hongji also hoped that the immortals could bless him with a son soon.


    Hongji hadn¡¯t considered that his baby was only a few months old, and his daughter-in-law, who had recently given birth, hadn¡¯t had much time to recuperate.


    Hongji carved for an entire afternoon, shaping the two pieces of wood. He still needed to sand them down and apply varnish, all tasks that required meticulous care.


    As night fell and the family had eaten their dinner, they saw the wooden figures in Hongji¡¯s hands, already sanded smooth.


    And he began to varnish them. After he finished applying the varnish and while waiting for it to dry, the family saw the small pieces of wood on the table transformed into exquisite figures.


    Hongji felt a great sense of achievement as he admired his work, smiling happily.


    Ye Shuzhi¡¯s previous complaints dissipated upon seeing the figures take shape, and she, already an adult, really wanted one of the figurines as an ornament.


    Ye Shuzhen spoke her mind before her sister, saying to her brother,


    ¡°Big brother, give me these two toys! They would look great on the shelf in my room.¡±


    ¡°Big brother, make it a gift for me, carve a few more, maybe I could turn this into a business in the future,¡± Ye Shuzhi shared her thoughts, her mind on the grocery store of her future husband.


    Daya held Wuwa in her arms, and her three other sisters stood by, admiring the work. They thought these were toys made for their sister, and they didn¡¯t dare to speak in front of their aunts, who wanted to take the toys, yet their eyes pleaded with Hongji.


    As a father, Hongji¡¯s heart swayed towards his own daughters under the gaze of his five girls; furthermore, he had promised to carve the items for his daughter, who had drawn them herself.


    ¡°Second sister, third sister, to be honest, I also want to sell these toys, but I carved these for Wuwa to play with, so she gets these two first, I¡¯ll carve for you both later!¡±


    ¡°What? You¡¯ve worked so hard carving these, they are so beautiful, and you¡¯re giving them to Wuwa to play with? Such a waste.¡±


    Mrs. Lai usually would never stop scolding Mrs. Li, or Hongji¡¯s daughters, but she had never cursed her son like this before.


    Upon hearing her daughter¡¯s words, she realized that these could be sold for money, that they were valuable things, how could they be used as toys for those who cause losses? Wasn¡¯t this wasteful?


    Hongji, chastised by his mother and seen by his daughter¡¯s eyes, became stubborn.


    ¡°Mother, stop it. Our family has plenty of discarded wood; I¡¯ll just work harder and carve more. I said these two were for Wuwa to play with, and that can¡¯t change.¡±


    ¡°Hmph, play, play, play, that¡¯s all you know. Liangkou told you to carve more divine figures, you remember what I just said to you, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Mrs. Lai shot a glance at Ye Shiqi, who was held by Daya, feeling that her son had changed since this girl was born.


    He became less filial toward her and even talked back at times.


    Sometimes Mrs. Lai even maliciously thought about drowning the girl secretly; after all, raising so many daughters felt like a waste of food.


    With the incident over grabbing the figures, when they were almost dry at night, Hongji took a bath and was about to go to bed, he moved the figures back into his room.


    The lights in the courtyard went out. Mrs. Lai, who had already gone to bed, quietly came to the thatched cottage in the dark, searching for the two figures.


    Footsteps were heard again in the courtyard, and when they arrived at the thatched cottage, they encountered Mrs. Lai.


    ¡°Mother, didn¡¯t you go to sleep? What are you doing here?¡± Ye Shuzhi was quite nervous, thinking her mother had already found the two carved pieces of wood.

 Chapter 50 - Chapter 50: Chapter 50 Mothers Good Girl

    Chapter 50: Chapter 50 Mother¡¯s Good Girl


    ¡°What are you two doing up instead of sleeping? Of course, Mother is here to look for something,¡± Mrs. Lai said, eyeing her two daughters defensively, feeling as though her daughters were rivals vying with her for possessions.


    ¡°Mother, I know your intentions well. We came out to search for things too,¡± Ye Shuzhen spoke out her true thoughts.


    ¡°You mustn¡¯t compete with Mother. I need to sell the portrait to get some money.¡±


    Mrs. Lai and her two daughters were scrambling to search, pushing and shoving each other. The two daughters almost caused their mother to fall over.


    ¡°Ah! Such good daughters you are! Do you wish to push your old mother down?¡±


    Mrs. Lai glared at her two daughters, showing no concern for collisions while struggling with them for the upper hand.


    ¡°Where has the item been placed? Could it be that elder brother has taken it back to his room?¡±


    Ye Shuzhi paid no mind to her mother¡¯s scolding, muttering to herself as she headed towards elder brother¡¯s room.


    ¡°Hmph, I¡¯m sure elder brother has taken it back to his room. Let¡¯s go search there.¡±


    The two sisters hurried, taking quick steps until they reached the door to Hongji¡¯s room, where he was about to go to sleep, and began knocking impatiently, ¡°Bang Bang Bang!¡±


    ¡°Elder Brother, open the door.¡±


    Hongji had just blown out the oil lamp and, hearing his sisters banging on the door so forcefully, he reached in the dark for a match to relight the lamp.


    Ye Shiqi, the child, was prone to sleepiness. With her father working overtime so late, her elder sisters had already joined her, sleeping in the room.


    Go to ????????????????????.co


    October had brought cooler weather, and they were covered with a thin cotton quilt. This quilt wasn¡¯t very warm, but it felt so comfortable to sleep in on a slightly chilly night.


    The loud noise of banging on the door awakened Ye Shiqi. Hearing a slight movement in the room, she sensed it was her father and realized that her other sisters had not been woken.


    Although Ye Shiqi was just a small child, her eyes were bright. She smelled a faint scent of paint. By the moonlight filtering through the gap under the door from outside, she saw two wooden objects in the room¡ªher father¡¯s carvings from today¡¯s work.


    After glancing at her two aunts, who were still vigorously knocking on the door, she quickly used the incantation ¡°store¡± before her father could light the lamp. She stored the toy dolls into her space, then pretended to be asleep again.


    She heard her father light the oil lamp and then get up to open the door, with a creak as he did so.


    ¡°Second Sister, Third Sister, why are you knocking on the door so late at night? You could disturb others in the dead of night.¡±


    Hongji, the honest man, hadn¡¯t realized for a moment that his two sisters were still fixated on the toy he had revealed earlier.


    ¡°Elder brother, where is the toy you made today?¡± Ye Shuzhi pushed past her brother, entering first and began scanning the room with her eyes.


    ¡°Elder brother, where did you put the toy?¡± Ye Shuzhen came in a step behind Second Sister. As she began to look around and talk, she saw no sign of the toy either.


    ¡°The toy, I put it over there¡­¡± Hongji pointed towards the table but faltered when he saw that there was nothing on it and looked puzzlingly at the table.


    It somewhat felt like a dream. The lamp he had just extinguished seemed unlikely to have been taken away by his sisters, for it would be in their hands, and he would have seen it.


    If it were his children who had taken the wooden toy from the table, they were asleep.


    Furthermore, before he extinguished the lamp, he had seen his children sleeping in bed, and as he was sleeping outside, he would know if the children had gotten up.


    Hongji¡¯s puzzling question remained unanswered. The wooden toy had vanished suddenly, and it didn¡¯t seem to have fallen to the floor. His room was small enough that he could see everything at a glance, and there was nothing on the floor.


    ¡°Brother, did you put it away? Right now, I can still smell paint in this room,¡± Ye Shuzhi said, after glancing under the bed. Her eyes then fell on her brother¡¯s wooden chest for clothes.


    ¡°Brother, did you hide them? In this wooden box, right?¡± Ye Shuzhen also suspected; she and her sister opened the unlocked box and kept rummaging through the clothes inside.


    Hongji, though confused, found his sisters¡¯ actions quite offensive, as he and his wife never kept anything valuable in the house.


    When his wife had just married into the family, he had seen silver bracelets on her wrists, but he hadn¡¯t seen those silver bracelets in years, not even when taking clothes out of the wooden box.


    This box originally had a lock, but one day it was pried open. As for whether anything was stolen?


    He and his wife both knew very well that it must have been someone in the family who did it. Out of shame, they remained silent and didn¡¯t speak out about it, nor did they question who had taken the things.


    Sometimes, Hongji felt ashamed facing his wife, who was so hard-working yet treated poorly by his family; he would blame himself but was helpless to change his family members.


    ¡°Second Sister, Third Sister, what are you doing? This behavior is like that of robbers. It¡¯s just wooden toys; is it necessary to turn everything upside down like this?¡±


    ¡°Elder Brother, you just said they are only wooden toys, so why don¡¯t you give these two toys to us sisters.¡±


    Ye Shuzhi couldn¡¯t bear not finding them and felt a surge of anger in her heart after being spoken to like this by her elder brother.


    ¡°Hmph, I knew it, Elder Brother is the most biased. You must have hidden the wooden toys under the quilt.¡±


    Ye Shuzhen rushed to the bedside, picked up the quilt covering the dolls, and the dolls, who had been fast asleep, suddenly had their quilt thrown off, their eyes closed, flailing their hands about.


    ¡°Third Sister, that¡¯s too much. The kids were sleeping well; why did you disturb them? What if they catch a cold?¡±


    Hongji said, coming over to snatch the quilt from Ye Shuzhen¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Psh, how can they keep sleeping with all this noise? They¡¯re like several pigs.¡±


    Ye Shuzhen disdainfully threw the quilt back. She looked down on the tattered quilt patched many times, feeling smug at heart because the quilts on her and her Second Sister¡¯s bed were new cotton quilts made by her elder sister-in-law¡¯s family when she first married into their family.


    The quilts on her and Second Sister¡¯s bed, as well as some of the dowry items from their elder sister, were all taken from their elder sister-in-law¡¯s belongings.


    At first, the elder sister-in-law had resisted, and the brother had blamed, but they were suppressed by the combined force of several sisters and their mother.


    Hongji covered the children properly with the quilt, took one sister by the hand, and led them both out the door.


    ¡°Elder Brother, you¡¯re being rough, I won¡¯t leave¡­¡±


    ¡°Elder Brother, you¡¯re hurting me. I¡¯ll tell father and mother about my wooden doll; I won¡¯t leave¡­¡±


    Hongji took Second Sister and Third Sister out of the house and then looked at them sternly and said:


    ¡°If you dare to make noise here again, I¡¯ll put you both to sleep in the pigpen,¡± Hongji said angrily as he closed the door.


    ¡°Bang bang bang¡±


    Ye Shuzhi kicked the door twice after it was closed, and Ye Shuzhen followed with two more kicks.


    ¡°Why are you making noise so late at night? If you¡¯re not sleepy, is it because you¡¯re too comfortable living at home? Tomorrow, go out to the fields with the kids to work.¡±


    From the parents¡¯ room, Hongji¡¯s father¡¯s scolding voice emerged. He didn¡¯t agree with his son¡¯s indulgence of the children and, persuaded by Mrs. Lai, thought of selling the toys to earn money, feeling that the children playing with valuable toys was a waste.


    While he supported his daughters¡¯ search, he didn¡¯t express it openly, realizing that his son had recently been quite critical of them. As a father, he was somewhat concerned about his son¡¯s opinions.


    Between his daughters and son, Hongji¡¯s father leaned a bit toward his son because the things the son received would always remain in the family, while what the daughters got might one day benefit someone else¡¯s field.

 Chapter 51 - Chapter 51: Chapter 51 Discovered Again

    Chapter 51: Chapter 51 Discovered Again


    Ye Shuzhen wanted to argue with Dad but was held back by Ye Shuzhi, so she could only stomp her foot and reluctantly return to her room.


    The yard quieted down, Hongji thoughtfully looked at the children, then slowly extinguished the oil lamp. He chose to be silent and tolerant, then went to bed and lay down to sleep.


    Hongji, usually tired from work, would fall asleep as soon as he lay down, but today he did not find it as easy to doze off as usual.


    This honest man was thinking about his wife, his mind in turmoil. The sudden disappearance of wooden toys, compared to Wuwa, who had been behaving unusually for months, he didn¡¯t believe his own child was a demon.


    So there was only one other explanation, that there was much in this world he did not understand, this child who was just born couldn¡¯t speak but, apart from not being very mobile, acted no different from adults.


    Having heard many stories about immortals since he was young, Hongji thought it was possible that the child was an immortal reincarnated.


    Or perhaps his daughter was different from ordinary people, possessing supernatural abilities that others did not.


    Hongji didn¡¯t think of testing or asking, this child who couldn¡¯t yet speak. He chose to believe in his own child, bearing the burden with his broad shoulders.


    He decided to let the child draw wooden figures in the future. He definitely couldn¡¯t let anyone know that it was a child of a few months who painted them. He would take that credit on his own.


    He spoke to himself, saying, ¡°Wuya, starting tomorrow, draw wooden figures, but make sure to do it behind closed doors, and don¡¯t let the family know it¡¯s you who¡¯s drawing. Dad knows you¡¯re smart and you want to increase our household¡¯s income, so draw more of the immortals¡¯ images. Dad will carve these toys and sell them.¡±


    Lying on the bed pretending to sleep, Ye Shiqi did not respond to her father¡¯s words, babbling in toddler speak that he couldn¡¯t understand.


    Ye Shiqi thought it was too careless to let her family know she could paint. Her father might be accepting, but other family members might not be.


    She now had one more task to secretly do in the space: aside from planting rice, harvesting and threshing it, she also had to paint and then leave the finished paintings in the room for her father.


    Go to ????????????????????.co


    During the day, this lady always followed herself; she couldn¡¯t enter the space, so it was only at night, when everyone was deep asleep, that she had time to paint.


    Ye Shiqi didn¡¯t know how far her thoughts could reach to take things into the space?


    She wanted to try from her bed to see if she could pull a piece of wood not far in front of the bed into the space.


    The attempt was very successful; a bag full of scrap wood was taken into the space.


    What Ye Shiqi lacked at the moment were the pens for drawing, the pens her father used for drawings were made with ink, not like the round pens she used for drawing in pencil.


    During the day, she only tried to draw with charcoal and did not take more charcoal into the space.


    Now that it was nighttime and the kitchen door was already locked, she could only try from her bed to see if she could take the unburnt charcoal from the kitchen stove into the space with a thought.


    So Ye Shiqi did as she thought. A little girl couldn¡¯t do much during the day, and the two elder sisters hadn¡¯t been paying attention to their room. Now, with the incident of the wooden figures, the sisters would surely be observing their room more carefully.


    Then she really wouldn¡¯t have time to paint as her father had said; she couldn¡¯t let anyone know it was her doing it. Any suspicion could be detrimental to her.


    In her mind, Ye Shiqi silently commanded ¡°collect¡± and some of the unburnt charcoal in the kitchen was taken into the space.


    She estimated the distance between the kitchen and room to be about three meters, roughly five meters from the stove in the kitchen.


    This successful attempt pleasantly surprised Ye Shiqi; such a long distance could still function for taking items, making it less likely to be discovered.


    Ye Shiqi didn¡¯t immediately enter the space, instead lying down and pretending to sleep. In the moonlight coming through the crack of the door from outside, she could see how many people were sleeping on the bed.


    From the sound of her father¡¯s breathing, she sensed that her dad was still awake, possibly watching her in the dark.


    Not until an hour later, when she believed her family was deeply asleep, did she enter the space.


    The charcoal that hadn¡¯t finished burning felt very dirty to the touch. She wrapped the charcoal in a torn piece of cloth and looked for logs that could be shaped into various figures, deciding to draw based on the size of each log.


    For someone who couldn¡¯t draw, the task could be challenging and the results might not resemble the intended shapes closely.


    Ye Shiqi heard her father mention immortals, such as the God of Wealth and Guanyin, which she had heard about before; they were immortals.


    She decided to start by drawing these two. After finishing one small log, some time had passed. To expedite the process, she drew a few more, hoping her father could craft them quickly.


    With one or two months until the Spring Festival, these items might sell better during that period.


    Ye Shiqi knew how to sketch, but a few months old baby¡¯s body couldn¡¯t withstand the fatigue.


    After drawing four, she felt very tired and thought these four logs would be enough work for her father for the next day, even with overtime work.


    Ye Shiqi came out from her space and lay between her elder sisters, as if she had never left.


    Then she used her thoughts to wrap the logs she had finished drawing with her father¡¯s clothes that were on the table; her father would see them when he woke up the next morning.


    Ye Shiqi felt like she had just fallen asleep when she heard the rooster crow. She turned over to continue sleeping when she heard a loud knock on the door, followed by her grandmother¡¯s frail, broken voice.


    ¡°Get up! The sun is shining on your backsides, and you¡¯re still not up. Get up and start working fast.¡±


    In the room, Daya, Er Ya, and Sanya, perhaps accustomed to their grandmother¡¯s ways, were woken up; rubbing their eyes they silently put on their clothes.


    Hongji opened his eyes and hearing the kids getting up, silently grabbed his jacket from the table without looking, only to feel it wrapped around something hard.


    Finding it strange, he sat up in bed and unwrapped the jacket.


    ¡°Dad, why did you wrap your jacket around wood? Hehe,¡± Daya laughed upon seeing it, not yet noticing the patterns on the wood.


    ¡°Dad, what¡¯s this for? Even uncarved wood is so precious, huh?¡± Er Ya also teased her father.


    ¡°Hehehe,¡± Sanya joined in the laughter, which woke up Siwa, who also started laughing.


    Hongji didn¡¯t explain to the kids; his gaze fixed intently on the logs. These few small logs were not the scrap wood he had thrown away before but logs with immortal images drawn on them.


    ¡°Hmm, these are the logs Dad is supposed to carve; of course, they are precious.¡±


    Hongji did not explain to the other kids. He remembered the jacket he had taken off before going to bed clearly had not been wrapped around wood.


    Thinking it might be sleepwalking seemed impossible to him; how could he not know his own strength!


    As for the skill of drawing images, he simply didn¡¯t have that ability.


    Hongji chose to wrap the logs back in his jacket, walked out the door, and put them in his toolbox.


    He was eager to start carving with his tools, feeling a fervor, but refrained from doing so, as there was morning water to carry, wood to chop, and many other chores to handle.


    Daya cooked rice porridge in the kitchen with her younger sisters, then went on to wash her clothes along with those of her father and younger sisters, a task that was immutably hers to do daily.


    The clothes from her and her sisters, who worked in the fields, and their father¡¯s woodworking clothes were quite dirty, while only Siwa¡¯s and Wuwa¡¯s clothes were relatively clean.


    Wuwa hadn¡¯t needed her help with washing diapers since birth, sparing her, her mother, and her father a lot of worry.

 Chapter 52 - Chapter 52: Chapter 52 Girl Fight

    Chapter 52: Chapter 52 Girl Fight


    Daya carried the clothes to the riverside to wash, a large basin full of clothes she carried to the river, where some older women and girls about her age were washing clothes.


    Daya used a washboard and the soap pods they collected from the mountains once a year; every family would make some to wash their own clothes.


    This was something they, as farmers, made themselves, while those slightly wealthier would go to the stores to buy better soaps with a pleasant scent.


    Just like the tea they used for washing hair, which they also gathered from the mountains and processed, it could clean the hair thoroughly and make it black and glossy; some even made tea oil from these leaves for cooking.


    ¡°Daya, your mom has gone to the county to enjoy herself, why didn¡¯t you follow her? Look at you, so young, doing so much work; why hasn¡¯t your mom come back this month?¡± an inquisitive aunt in her thirties asked, her voice engaging the curiosity of others, who were just as intrigued by this family.


    Many others were envious, after all, not everyone could earn two taels of silver.


    For farmers like them, with not a small amount of expenses, it might be impossible to earn two taels of silver in a whole year.


    How could they not be jealous? It¡¯s a pity that they weren¡¯t lucky enough to work for a wealthy family.


    In their minds, working for a rich family would be better than farming at home.


    Wealthy families had better food, better products, and could even offer reward money for good work.


    ¡°Yeah, why haven¡¯t the two of you come back? Your mom wouldn¡¯t have abandoned you, would she?¡± another old woman asked.


    ¡°Daya, you¡¯ve got a dad but no mom,¡± said a girl about Daya¡¯s age.


    ¡°My mom will be back in just over ten or twenty days; please don¡¯t talk nonsense. With so much work waiting at home, how could I go with her?¡±


    Go to ????????????????????.co


    Daya, observed by so many pairs of eyes, was shy but replied with firmness.


    ¡°Daya, why don¡¯t your second aunt and third aunt come out to help you with the laundry? Why do you get up so early? I see your second aunt and third aunt only come to the riverside to wash clothes after 7 a.m. to 9 a.m,¡± an old woman said, her words tinged with a hint of provocation.


    ¡°Right, your second aunt and third aunt are so lazy, why do you have to be so diligent? And your family too, letting Er Ya and Sanya, who are so young, go out and work the fields with you,¡± another auntie commented.


    ¡°Stop talking, my second aunt and third aunt have their own work to do. We divide the tasks among our family; those who don¡¯t know shouldn¡¯t spread rumors,¡± Daya responded.


    Upon hearing Daya¡¯s response, the crowd continued their chatter.


    Daya chose not to reply to the subsequent comments, feeling it was better to say less, as talking more could lead to mistakes. These people were too idle, already past the busy farming season, with many having nothing else to do besides watering the garden.


    Her family was different; Dad and Grandpa were carpenters, and the two men being away meant losing two laborers.


    After washing the clothes, Daya returned home. While hanging the clothes to dry, she only then saw her second and third aunts and grandmother just getting up.


    They didn¡¯t start working upon waking; instead, they went to the kitchen to look for food.


    Er Ya and Sanya had already prepared porridge and served it out into bowls on the table to cool.


    On the table, besides the porridge, there was pickled vegetables. Unlike in the North, where they have steamed buns with their porridge, they just had porridge with pickled vegetables.


    If someone had sweet potatoes at home, they would also steam them in the pot to eat together.


    Daya, after finishing with the clothes, carried two bowls of porridge into the room and woke up Wuwa, who was still asleep.


    Ye Shiqi was awoken by her elder sister. Usually, she would sit up energetically, but today she lazily crawled out of bed, rubbed her still groggy eyes, and gestured to her elder sister, saying, ¡°Hold on, hold on.¡±


    ¡°Wuwa, you care too much about cleanliness,¡± Daya said as she put down the bowl of thin porridge on the table, took a wooden basin from under the bed, grabbed an old handkerchief, and went to the kitchen. From the pot used to cook the porridge, she poured some hot water into the basin for Wuwa to wash her face.


    ¡°What a waste of resources, that water in the pot is for drinking, do the kids really need to wash their faces? I, your grandmother, haven¡¯t even washed my face, and you¡¯ve seen your second and third aunts haven¡¯t washed theirs either, wasteful creature.¡±


    Mrs. Lai was eating her porridge when she lifted her head and saw Daya¡¯s actions, bits of her meal spilling out while she spoke.


    ¡°Grandma, none of us have washed yet, it¡¯s a good chance to clean up. Wuwa likes being clean, she just said she wanted to wash her face.¡±


    Daya was suddenly scolded by her grandmother. Previously, she always did these things in secret, and now that she had been discovered by her grandmother, she felt a bit timid but was determined to persist.


    ¡°That troublemaker, so young and already obsessed with cleanliness, who do you think you¡¯re fooling, acting like some sort of witch, just a few years old and already preoccupied with cleanliness, you think you¡¯re Miss High and Mighty? Isn¡¯t this wasting water? Wasting firewood?¡±


    Mrs. Lai continued to scold relentlessly, causing the people eating across from her and next door to set their bowls aside and stand up.


    In the midst of her grandmother¡¯s scolding, Daya quickly carried the basin out of the kitchen and hurried a few steps back into the room, ¡°Ah,¡± closing the door behind her.


    ¡°Mom, what are you scolding about so early in the morning? Isn¡¯t it good that the children like to be clean?¡± Hongji felt stifled upon hearing his mother scolding the kids again.


    ¡°Just go on causing trouble, even with food, you can¡¯t shut your mouth,¡± Hongji¡¯s father said after hearing his wife¡¯s remarks, glanced at her, and seeing the sleep in her eyes, looked at his wife with disgust.


    ¡°Mom, don¡¯t talk like that anymore. If others heard it, it would ruin our reputation,¡± Ye Shuzhi was lazy but didn¡¯t want to be talked about by others.


    Ye Shuzhen also nodded and said, ¡°Mom, do you want me to be unable to marry? Tarnishing my reputation so that no one will come to propose.¡±


    Mrs. Lai was used to scolding the kids, her first reaction was to berate them without thinking too much.


    Upon hearing one complaint after another, Mrs. Lai felt an air of frustration but had no choice but to hold back her words.


    ¡°Elder sister, I want to wash my face too.¡±


    The kids in the room, seeing Daya washing Wuwa¡¯s face, also lined up in front of the wooden basin.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s all wash together.¡± Daya, unfazed by her sisters¡¯ requests, patiently helped each of them wash their face, leaving herself for last.


    Ye Shiqi watched her elder sister with just one wooden basin and so little water, using one towel to wash several people¡¯s faces, wondering if sharing a basin, towel, and water was somewhat unsanitary?


    She had heard the scolding in the kitchen just before ¨C sharing things was unsanitary, but wasn¡¯t not washing your face even more unsanitary?


    Ye Shiqi decided to sneak into the space and use the Spiritual Spring to wash her face secretly.


    Hongji quickly finished his porridge, deliberately avoiding the salty pickles. He didn¡¯t want to consume too much salt, which would make him thirsty and send him to the outhouse frequently, wasting a lot of time.


    ¡°Son, remember to carve the immortal portraits today,¡± Mrs. Lai reminded her son as they were about to leave the kitchen, repeating her focus on the immortal portraits from the night before.


    ¡°Mom, I know! I sketched the portraits overnight. Today I¡¯ll do the carving, and none of you should fight over them. I¡¯m thinking of selling these carvings to make some money for the New Year,¡± Hongji said as he turned back to look at his family members, who stopped eating to listen.


    ¡°Brother, you said you would carve them for my dowry,¡±


    Ye Shuzhi thought not just of displaying them but also of selling them in the shop at her husband¡¯s house, seeing it as business without any investment.

 Chapter 53 - Chapter 53: Chapter 53: All Want to Possess

    Chapter 53: Chapter 53: All Want to Possess


    ¡°Brother, you still haven¡¯t finished the ornament for my room, I don¡¯t care¡­ I want you to give me a toy to display in my room.¡±


    Ye Shuzhen added, still unmarried, she thought about having something pretty in her room, something to make her friends envy when they came to visit.


    ¡°Son, you¡¯re not thinking about stashing away private funds, are you? Even if you sell toys, you have to put the money into the common fund for your mother to keep safe,¡± Mrs. Lai said with a domineering look.


    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m already over 30, I don¡¯t have any private funds. There¡¯s no one in the village poorer than me. You want me to have children but won¡¯t let me save any private money. I don¡¯t want to be like last time, when we didn¡¯t even have money to pay for the midwife when my wife was giving birth.¡±


    Hongji¡¯s gaze was firm. Mrs. Li had given him child after child, and each birth was a narrow escape from death, without proper nutrition afterward. The family¡¯s refusal to hire a midwife was his greatest source of guilt.


    ¡°Hmph, marrying a wife and forgetting your mother, sob¡­ How did I bear such a son? Oh, Heaven¡­ Punish Mrs. Li for leading my son astray.¡±


    Mrs. Lai remembered to put down her bowl, didn¡¯t care about the dirty floor, sat on the ground and threw a tantrum, wailing without shedding a tear.


    The children looked out from the room window, with Shiqi in her elder sister¡¯s arms, watching this outrageous grandmother, hoping their parents could earn a little money from selling the toys, but first, they had to deal with this troublemaker.


    Shiqi was at a loss for a good solution, seeing her sisters¡¯ worried glances towards their father.


    She knew her father, an honest man, was starting to change but might be unable to act on his ideas because of Mrs. Lai¡¯s tantrums.


    As expected¡­


    ¡°Mom, you can¡¯t talk about my wife like that. In what way did my wife wrong you? To curse her like this¡­¡± Hongji frowned, his heart heavy.


    ¡°Sob¡­ It¡¯s just that you used to be so filial. Ever since Mrs. Li came into this family, you¡¯ve become less obedient. Now, when I ask you to carve things for your mother to sell, you talk about saving private money. How can there be thoughts of splitting the household when parents are still alive? If not for Mrs. Li¡¯s influence, who else would have corrupted you?¡±


    Go to ????????????????????.co


    ¡°Mom, I didn¡¯t say anything about splitting up the family. I only wanted to keep a bit of money for myself after making a sale. With all my children, I surely can¡¯t have no assets at all.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t what belongs to the mother also yours? If the mother saves a bit more money, when we grow old, you won¡¯t need to spend any money on us. Besides, you¡¯re my only son, the money will eventually be yours anyway.¡±


    Mrs. Lai felt her son was changing. She knew his personality well and had to speak softly to him. Her son had a kind and soft heart, and she needed to firmly grasp that point to keep hold of her son¡¯s heart. Hmph, Mrs. Li is still too green to fight with her.


    ¡°Well¡­ alright then!¡± Upon hearing his mother say this, Hongji thought it made sense. His family had no other brothers, and his sisters would only get a dowry, so his parents¡¯ money would be his in the end.


    ¡°Son, you¡¯ve agreed to my terms. Go get to work! Make a bit more today, and tomorrow we¡¯ll find a shop to sell the immortal wood statue,¡± Mrs. Lai said, dusting herself off. Just moments ago, she had worn a crying face, but now she was all smiles, her mood shifting rapidly.


    Hongji¡¯s father watched the entire exchange in silence, not uttering a word. His stance was one of support for his spouse. If the son had money saved, he might become less obedient to them in their old age. Keeping the money firmly in hand ensured security for their retirement.


    He silently went off to work in the thatched workshop first.


    Seeing his father gone to work, Hongji did not want to linger there and hurried to carve the wooden figures.


    ¡°Mom, you don¡¯t need to find another shop to sell the toys big brother makes. Doesn¡¯t my fianc¨¦ have a shop? If we sell our family¡¯s toys there, it would bring in money for your daughter and increase your income,¡± Ye Shuzhi said, her eyes glinting with another idea, ensuring that once she married into the Zhong Family, she wouldn¡¯t be wasted away by her mother-in-law as Mrs. Li had been.


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about that later! Let¡¯s see if other shops might offer a higher price.¡± For the sake of earning more, Mrs. Lai was not concerned with family ties.


    ¡°Mom, you must place one in my room. I need the gods¡¯ blessing, to find a good husband.¡±


    Ye Shuzhen felt that their efforts had worn out their lips, with her big brother disagreeing, but it was their mother who managed to make him comply with just a few words. Truly, ginger is the spiciest.


    ¡°Why display any? Selling them to make money is what makes sense. But it wouldn¡¯t hurt to have one for worship in our living room.¡±


    Mrs. Lai thought of the Fertility Guanyin, believing that daily worship might bring descendants.


    ¡°Mom, our family doesn¡¯t even have a living room, where would we worship?¡± Ye Shuzhen rolled her eyes, feeling that her mom was too stingy, unwilling to spend the money they earned to build more rooms.


    Ye Shiqi hung her head and sighed, feeling helpless with such an ineffectual father. Was all her hard work on the portraits in vain?


    She didn¡¯t want to make money for a grandmother with such an insatiable appetite. If the demands were endless, her efforts would be wasted.


    For now, there was no other choice but to wait and see. If her father made many wooden dolls to sell and Grandma earned some money, would she treat her nieces better?


    Ye Shiqi felt so young and powerless to resist, her only option was to wait and see.


    After breakfast, Ye Shuzhi and Ye Shuzhen went together to the river to wash clothes.


    As the sisters went to the river to wash clothes, they encountered girls from the village doing the same.


    ¡°You two just got up? No wonder the neighbors say your niece is already by the river washing clothes early in the morning. The whole village says you two are lazy.¡±


    This girl envied the sisters for such treatment. Despite being of similar age, she didn¡¯t have to work in the fields daily, though she helped out during the busy farming seasons.


    Besides this girl, there were several younger children at the river, listening curiously to their conversation.


    Daya and her younger sisters worked in the fields all day. They felt lucky that their parents, though favoring boys over girls, treated them better than Daya and her three sisters.


    ¡°Who said that? We got up very early, and only after breakfast did we come out to wash clothes. Who dares call us lazy? I¡¯ll knock their teeth out.¡± Ye Shuzhen glared fiercely at the girl her age.


    ¡°Such busybodies. What business is our family¡¯s affair of theirs? Humph, they¡¯ve really crossed the line,¡± Ye Shuzhi glared at the girl as well.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just me saying it. Everyone sees. We feel for Da Y and her sisters¡ªsuch little children working so hard. Tsk, they sure have two kind elder sisters!¡± The girl didn¡¯t care about the sisters glaring at her.


    ¡°Such a nosy-parker, hmpf¡­ Take care of your meddling¡­¡± Ye Shuzhen, infuriated, gave the village girl a shove.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Caught off guard by Ye Shuzhen¡¯s push, the girl lost her balance, fell into the water, and got completely soaked.


    The river was shallow, only knee-deep. The girl climbed out from the muddy bottom, feeling a chill over her body. The October weather made the water very cold, and she trembled involuntarily.


    Filled with rage, she splashed water at Ye Shuzhen with both hands, swearing as she did so, ¡°Ye Shuzhen, you proved my point. Still a grown woman, yet so lazy.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s it to you? You want to fight, is that it? I¡¯m up for it all the way!¡±


    Ye Shuzhen splashed back, and the two started fighting by the river.


    Ye Shuzhi, engaged to be married, couldn¡¯t afford to fight and ruin her reputation. Trouble would follow if her fianc¨¦¡¯s family called off the marriage, and she sighed at the thought of having to wash the morning clothes by herself, with no help from Ye Shuzhen.


    The other children, not wanting to get wet, quickly moved away with their wooden dishes.


    ¡°Ah-choo,¡± Ye Shuzhen sneezed as a cold wind blew past, causing her to tremble.


    ¡°Ah-choo,¡± the girl sneezed too, thoroughly drenched and freezing, worried about catching a cold. She glared at Ye Shuzhen and warned,


    ¡°If I catch a cold because of you today and have to spend money on a doctor, we won¡¯t let you off easily. Humph.¡±


    ¡°Dream on, I¡¯m also soaking wet. If I catch a cold, you¡¯re paying for the medicine,¡± Ye Shuzhen retorted, not willing to admit defeat.

 Chapter 54 - Chapter 54: Chapter 54 Caught a Cold

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 Chapter 55 - Chapter 55: Chapter 55 Heartache Over Losing Money

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 Chapter 56 - Chapter 56: Chapter 56 The Noise Continues

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 Chapter 57 - Chapter 57: Chapter 57 Visiting Aunt

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 Chapter 58 - Chapter 58: Chapter 58 Aunt Recovers from Illness

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 Chapter 59 - Chapter 59: Chapter 59: Promotion

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 Chapter 60 - Chapter 60: Testimonial

    Chapter 60: Testimonial


    Author¡¯s Note on the Book Launch


    I want to thank all the friends who have supported me. There are too many old and new friends to list on a single page, so I can only thank them from the bottom of my heart for their support.


    I didn¡¯t get to write a book launch note for my first two books because, as a newbie, I didn¡¯t understand how things worked. I¡¯m grateful to the friends who have passed by or silently supported me over the years.


    Although I only see your words, receiving recommendation tickets and monthly tickets makes me notice your support, and every bit of it drives me forward.


    Writing can be a solitary endeavor, and even if my writing skills aren¡¯t the best, I still want to make every story good.


    With your support over the past three years, I¡¯ve had the motivation to persist, to write down every word, every story¡ªit has always been my dream.


    Whether I can make money from writing or not, I¡¯m determined to finish my stories. Some may be long while others are short, but I hope each one brings joy or serves as delightful entertainment during boring times.


    Writing is not easy; one only knows after trying. Every minute and second is precious, and it hasn¡¯t been easy for me to persevere. Over the past three years, I¡¯ve garnered support from many friends, good reviews or bad, but whatever the case, I¡¯m extremely grateful to everyone who has left their mark in my books.


    These people may be writers, readers, or friends who came specifically to support me.


    My introduction to writing began when, out of boredom, I was browsing on my phone and stumbled upon the writer¡¯s assistant app. Out of curiosity, I clicked into the software and, driven by my interest, joined the ranks of writers. I¡¯m thankful to Yue Wen Platform for giving me the opportunity to fall into this writing pit, where I¡¯ve remained deeply immersed ever since.


    I¡¯m someone who loves reading, and before I started writing, I read all types of books: male and female channels, fantasy, romance, the works. I remember ¡°Fairy¡±; it was the longest novel I ever read. I spent an entire month of my spare time to finish it, and for a writer, composing over ten million characters might take several years.


    However, for the God of Explosive, it might just take a year. I¡¯m in awe of that kind of prowess!


    Some of the male and female channel greats, even ordinary writers like us, often read their books. My bookshelf contains works by some of these male legends, which I peruse when I¡¯m bored.


    Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?0.?¦Ï


    Take, for instance, my book ¡°Dreaming Back to Xingxing¡±. The places are real, the characters are fictional, and the setting¡ªthe 1980s¡ªis also based on reality. I was so happy to hear that this book would be available as an audiobook on Lazy Listeners with a wonderful narrator¡¯s voice.


    The story of ¡°Farmer Girl¡¯s Heaven-Denied Strength¡± was actually adapted into classical Chinese and written in various styles.


    In whatever form, as long as I can publish my stories, here, I want to thank the editor who gave me some direction.


    Maybe for some, writing a few thousand or even tens of thousands of words a day is no problem, but writing is tedious, and persisting to write a little every day is already the best proof.


    I¡¯m not capable of writing tens of thousands of words a day, so the chances of explosive updates are rare, and while some may write full-time, I can only do it part-time.


    Due to health reasons, my work is often disrupted, yet I spend much of my time immersed in the world of books.


    It took signing my third book to finally write these book launch words, and I decided to write a bit more because I always feel there are so many thanks that I haven¡¯t expressed.


    Every day, receiving recommendation tickets from friends who have always supported me, passing friends who gave monthly tickets, or passersby who provided recommendation tickets, I¡¯m sincerely grateful and happy for their generous help.


    Many writers have weathered the storms of the years alongside me. While some have given up, others have persevered. We support each other, providing mutual encouragement.


    I remember the first time I used this software, I already had 600,000 characters written. Dreaming Back, a novice writer who understood nothing, let alone a steady income, but I persisted solely on my own will. Back then, I felt incredibly happy knowing that if my stories were read, regardless of whether they made money or not.


    So even though the following two books weren¡¯t contracted, I wrote over 300,000 characters. Whether or not they were read, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to delete them; they are the footprints I¡¯ve left, the process of learning to write.


    Those recommendation or monthly tickets are a huge support to me¡ªI¡¯m happy to meet fellow countrymen on Qidian, although I reckon we are all brothers and sisters of China. Whoever enters my books is a fellow countryman and friend to me, and I hope each and every one of you leaves your mark, letting me know of your presence.


    Once again, thank you for being there. As the New Year approaches, I wish you all a Happy New Year, may fortune favor you as powerfully as tigers, and wish you good health!

 Chapter 61 - Chapter 61: Chapter 61 The Wooden Image Disappears

    Chapter 61: Chapter 61 The Wooden Image Disappears


    Daya, hearing her father¡¯s call, picked up Wuwa and led her younger sisters out of the room.


    The adults inside the room were still discussing around the bed, and the children had to dodge around to get out the door.


    Hongji picked Wuwa from Daya¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Dad, I want to be carried too,¡± Siwa said, too tired to walk.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go home.¡± Hongji carried one child in each arm, the older girls looking enviously at their younger sisters as they followed their father¡¯s steps out of the courtyard.


    Ye Shuzhi, seeing her elder brother ready to go home, thought of the wooden Bodhisattva and quickly followed to leave the courtyard.


    Ye Shuzhen was previously arguing with several sisters, accusing them of being unsupportive by joining others in speaking ill of her.


    The sisters retorted that everyone in the village was saying the same thing, and they were merely going along with it.


    The person who had been arguing during the day had recovered from illness; she insisted that person must be lying. Otherwise, if everyone fell into water the same way, how could she have burnt so severely?


    They even had to call the doctor, who came daily to swindle money from their family.


    Another sister in the room argued that Ye Shuzhen was tarnishing their family¡¯s reputation. Everyone had seen her sister was ill, and she got better so quickly only because the Bodhisattva had blessed her.


    ¡°My elder brother carved the Bodhisattva today; it must be the Bodhisattva blessing me. I felt dizzy and bloated this morning but was able to get out of bed and eat lunch before lunch without calling the doctor. That¡¯s why you could swindle some money from your family,¡± she argued.


    Many girls did not believe Ye Shuzhen¡¯s words, yet some elder sisters, upon hearing them, considered visiting during the day to see if Hongji¡¯s house truly could carve the wooden Bodhisattva?


    Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?0.§ã¦Ï


    Upon seeing Second Sister and her elder brother, Ye Shuzhen huffed at the people in the room and hurried home, thinking of the four wooden Bodhisattvas at home. She resolved to get one into her room by any means that evening to ensure she never fell ill again.


    ¡°Second Sister, wait for me¡­.¡±


    Typically, these two sisters walked with studied grace, mimicking the mannerisms of ladies from stories, but now, in their rush for the wooden Bodhisattva, they ran as if ghosts were chasing them.


    Hongji, carrying two children, walked as fast as the wind, with the older three girls running after him.


    He had already figured out that his sisters were running so fast because of the four wooden Bodhisattvas at home.


    He thought nonchalantly, since the wooden Bodhisattva made during the day had already been declared by their mother to be sold, even if the sisters managed to grab them, they would just be taken away by their mother.


    Mrs. Lai, speaking, attracted a crowd around her, including women of her age or older and some younger women, who wanted to order a wooden Bodhisattva.


    ¡°Wait a moment! We haven¡¯t decided yet how much to charge for this wooden Bodhisattva. If it¡¯s too expensive, you might not afford it, and if it¡¯s too cheap, we¡¯d just be working for nothing. We need to find out how much the stores will buy them for, and we¡¯ll give you a buying price based on that,¡± she announced.


    Thinking of the wholesale price that her relation had given her, Mrs. Lai declared, with those who, even if neighbours, needed to pay her son for his craftsmanship.


    ¡°Mrs. Lai, we are all from the same place, and you still want to charge high prices? That¡¯s too greedy!¡± Mrs. Zhang, upset that her daughter¡¯s illness had brought Mrs. Lai business, fumed inside.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy to do so. Anyone who thinks it¡¯s too expensive doesn¡¯t have to buy. Those who consider the store-bought Bodhisattvas will find them even more expensive,¡± Mrs. Lai retorted.


    No sooner had Mrs. Lai¡¯s words fallen than the hesitant women exchanged glances, not wanting to part with their limited money but convinced that the Bodhisattva¡¯s blessing for their family¡¯s safety was worth skipping a meal or two.


    So one by one, they verbally placed their orders with Mrs. Lai.


    ¡°Merely saying verbally isn¡¯t enough. If you¡¯re serious, give us a deposit, and come back in a couple of days. We actually haven¡¯t settled on a price for the Bodhisattva yet. I¡¯ll need to ask my son what his labor charge is. Even if the wood is cheap, my son¡¯s craftsmanship is certainly valuable,¡± she stated.


    Upon hearing this, the other women looked at each other, also feeling that they should first check if their family was genuinely capable of creating the Bodhisattva.


    They quietly decided to visit Hongji¡¯s house the next day to see his craftsmanship and whether Mrs. Lai was exaggerating. Tomorrow would make things clear.


    Mrs. Lai gloated with a victorious smirk. She had been arguing so much her lips were sore, and even smiling hurt.


    Seeing Mrs. Lai¡¯s smile accentuating the wrinkles on her face made Mrs. Zhang nauseous. This time, her daughter lost an argument to someone else, and she herself had lost an argument to Mrs. Lai.


    As Mrs. Lai left Mrs. Zhang¡¯s courtyard, she turned back toward her own yard, spat on the ground disdainfully, and hummed a tune, swaying her plump body triumphantly as she went home.

 Chapter 62 - Chapter 62: Chapter 61 Wooden Figure Disappears_2

    Chapter 62: Chapter 61 Wooden Figure Disappears_2


    As I was about to return to the courtyard of our house, I saw the lights in the yard and suddenly remembered the four wooden Bodhisattvas. Before leaving, I was too preoccupied with the quarrel and didn¡¯t put away the Bodhisattvas.


    My son and daughter should have already returned to the courtyard, could they have put away the Bodhisattvas?


    Mrs. Lai, not caring about the darkness and the unclear road conditions, hurried a few steps and stepped on a small stone, stumbled forward a few steps, nearly fell flat on her face, but narrowly managed to stabilize herself, and then carefully continued towards the courtyard.


    Hongji¡¯s father, seeing that most of the villagers had left and his family had returned home, finally took his leave from Mrs. Zhang¡¯s husband and the other villagers.


    Today¡¯s farce initially cost him some silver, but in a close shave at the end, he didn¡¯t have to pay any compensation and even received praise from the villagers, who said he had trained an apprentice to surpass his master.


    Having been praised, Hongji¡¯s father felt such joy in his heart. After all, praising his son was the same as praising him, right?


    There are many smart people in the world, and there are plenty of masters who train apprentices only to have the apprentices starve them, but his craftsmanship was passed on to his son, and what his son had, he had.


    Being clever, the couple had taught their son to be so filial, tightly clutching the coins in their hands, they happily walked home humming a tune, ¡°Drip-a-drop, drip drip drop¡­¡±


    Ye Shuzhi was the first to return to her family¡¯s courtyard and immediately lit the oil lamp in the thatched house, brightening the entire yard.


    Seeing the woodworking area where her father and eldest brother worked, they had seen the four wooden Bodhisattvas on the table before leaving the house; now she saw no sign of the wooden Bodhisattvas.


    She assumed her eldest brother must have placed the wooden Bodhisattvas in their mother¡¯s room, and upon seeing that the door to the room was locked, she took a piece of wire to pick the lock.


    ¡°Second Sister, what are you doing?¡± Ye Shuzhen entered the courtyard, looking left and right, not finding the wooden Bodhisattvas in the thatched house, and caught Second Sister opening the door to their parents¡¯ room.


    ¡°Shh¡­ I¡¯m sure our eldest brother put the wooden Bodhisattvas in our parents¡¯ room.¡±


    Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã¦Ï


    ¡°Second Sister, I think our eldest brother definitely put the wooden Bodhisattvas in his room. He¡¯s not as filial as before,¡± Ye Shuzhen said, her eyes gleaming with what she thought was intelligence.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s split up and look while they¡¯re not back yet. If we find the wooden Bodhisattvas, let¡¯s split them between us,¡± Ye Shuzhi agreed with her younger sister¡¯s idea, suggesting a joint effort.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s split up and search, hehe.¡±


    The two sisters each took a room to search. They were quite skilled at this, quickly picking the locks. They lit lamps in their respective rooms and searched.


    ¡°Third Sister, how¡¯s it going over there? Have you found the wooden Bodhisattva?¡± Ye Shuzhi searched her parents¡¯ room without success and loudly asked the sister in the next room.


    ¡°Second Sister, you search our parents¡¯ room while I check his chest and bed here. There¡¯s nothing else in his room. Let me see if he has hidden it in his chest,¡± Ye Shuzhen replied, showing her cooperative spirit, as the two sisters had collaborated many times before.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there a bag of wood by the doorway? Take a look to see if the Bodhisattva might be among that wood,¡± Ye Shuzhi made another suggestion.


    ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll search everywhere.¡± Ye Shuzhen had already checked her eldest brother¡¯s chest and found nothing but a few clothes.


    So few clothes for two adults and several children, not even as many as her own.


    She then went to look through the bag of scraps her brother had collected at the door, knowing he used these scraps for carving, which was reusing waste.


    After a thorough check that turned up nothing, she felt a surge of anger and said, ¡°Second Sister, there is nothing in my brother¡¯s room. Do you think he has hidden it somewhere else?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a chest here in our parent¡¯s room that I haven¡¯t opened yet, but I¡¯ve looked everywhere else,¡± she replied.


    Ye Shuzhi hesitated, wondering whether she should open their parents¡¯ wooden chest.


    She really wanted to open that chest to see how much silver their parents had hidden, as she planned to offer for more dowry when the time came.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Hongji entered with the children, and saw the lights on in the courtyard, his parents¡¯ room, and his own room.


    He put Wuwa down and carried Siwa, quickly walking to his own room¡¯s doorway, where he saw his second and third sisters in his and his parents¡¯ rooms.


    Hongji didn¡¯t even have to think to know they were up to no good again.


    ¡°Eldest brother, you and the children were the last to leave. Where did you hide the wooden Bodhisattva?¡±


    Ye Shuzhen felt a bit guilty but wished for the wooden Bodhisattva to bless her with a good husband and a safe and prosperous life. She definitely wanted to place the Bodhisattva in her room.


    ¡°Eldest brother, you¡¯ve been so preoccupied with the children and your wife lately, you¡¯re not as good to us as before. Quickly bring out the wooden Bodhisattva. Anyway, you¡¯re going to make my dowry, so might as well make more of such dowry for me,¡± Ye Shuzhi said while walking out of her parents¡¯ room. It seemed to her working on the dowries was no effort for her brother, and helping her should be a given.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Mrs. Lai entered the courtyard and, upon not seeing the wooden Bodhisattvas on the table¡ªand seeing her second daughter coming out of the locked room¡ªfeared her daughter might have tampered with her wooden chest where she kept her hidden silver.


    ¡°Mom, eldest brother hid the wooden Bodhisattvas, and we can¡¯t find them since we got back,¡± Ye Shuzhen ran over to her mother and complained.


    Ye Shuzhi, like a child who had done something wrong, didn¡¯t dare say anything else in front of her mother and retreated to her own room. If their brother had indeed hidden the wooden Bodhisattva, their mother would surely make him hand it over upon her return. The search wasn¡¯t her concern anymore.


    Ye Shuzhi stayed quiet, not daring to offend her brother, sensing that he was no longer as easy to boss around as before.